Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 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, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
