Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here 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 arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify 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 possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, 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 Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
