Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing 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 talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, 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.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
