Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team 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 New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team 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 this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected 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 evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder 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 priceless lessons.”
