Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 exact opposite. 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 that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” 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 the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
