Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift 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 tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated 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. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
