Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, 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 success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
