Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though 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 encounters, England's sole win 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 Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
