Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable 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 outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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 final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
