Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
