Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
