Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. 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 visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving 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 Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
