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 first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side 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 recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
