Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak 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 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” 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 playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad 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 opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
