🔗 Share this article

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “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 going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”