Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
