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 achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
