England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear 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. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis 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
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will 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 games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
