Jamie George Warns Team Against Stand in Awe at All Blacks' Mystique

England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all 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 unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear 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 last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said 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 next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”