🔗 Share this article

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated 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 Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 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 placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”