Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten 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 admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “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 Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing 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 valuable lessons.”
