England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “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 valuable lessons.”
