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 maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games 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 finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
