Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything 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 at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
