🔗 Share this article

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”