Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. 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 gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
