England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “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 assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
