Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team 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 recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all 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 last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji 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 among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “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 extremely valuable lessons.”
