Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game 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 experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
