Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, 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 bit of heat last year for not emerging 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 put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
