Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
