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 visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks 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 have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
