Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
