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 home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
