Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said 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 Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases 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 View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “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 will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game 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 curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
