England's captain Warns Team Not to Stand in Awe at All Blacks' Aura

Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”