Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection 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 Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
