Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but 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 one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”