Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
