Jamie George Cautions Team Not to Sit Back at New Zealand's Aura

Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging 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 solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”