Jamie George Admonishes Squad Not to Sit Back at All Blacks' Reputation
Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games 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 good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches 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 hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”