Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, 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 close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus 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.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim 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 keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
