Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine 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 two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed 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 fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience 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 wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
