England's Battle Against History and Haka
Jamie George has issued a stark warning to his England teammates, urging them not to be mesmerised by the legendary aura of the All Blacks as they prepare for a monumental clash at Twickenham this Saturday. The hooker emphasised that overcoming New Zealand's formidable reputation is as crucial as countering their on-field prowess if England are to secure a first home victory against the Kiwis in 13 years.
Squad Boost and Contrasting Fortunes
England's preparations have received a significant lift with the return to fitness of Elliot Daly, who could make his first appearance since fracturing an arm on British & Irish Lions duty. He is joined in Steve Borthwick's 37-man squad by Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck, bolstering the side ahead of their toughest autumn assignment.
The team heads into the fixture riding a wave of confidence, having extended their winning streak to nine matches with a 38-18 victory over Fiji. This current form presents a dramatic turnaround from the struggles of just twelve months ago, when England endured a dismal run of six defeats in seven matches. The painful memory of last year's series against New Zealand, which included three narrow losses and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks, still lingers.
Learning from Past Scars
Ben Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji, believes the heartbreak of those previous defeats has forged a more resilient England. "You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses," Earl stated. He suggested that the painful lessons from last year are now paying dividends in the team's ability to close out games, a skill evident as they romped clear in the final quarter against Fiji.
Despite the Springboks sitting atop the world rankings, George did not hesitate to label the All Blacks as "arguably the best side in the world." The historical record underscores the challenge; of the last 11 encounters, England's sole victory was the famous 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain undefeated at Twickenham for over a decade.
"What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players," George, the former captain, admitted. "It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past... The important thing for us is to have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance."
With captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and George Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup, Borthwick acknowledged the test ahead. "We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams," he said, framing the match as a vital assessment for his developing squad. For England, the mission is clear: respect the opposition, but never bow to them.
