England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will 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 at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game 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 enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
