Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten 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 incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging 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 put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt 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, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
