Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed 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 decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent 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 the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, 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 finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games 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 got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
