Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware 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. New Zealand 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 visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter 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.”
