Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy 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 emerging on the right side of tight games 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 closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
