Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how 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 latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
