Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
