Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, 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, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably 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 all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, 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 bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
