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 first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
