Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history 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 this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all 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 final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
Eva de Vries is a passionate book lover and local writer from Eindhoven.
