England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory 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.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. 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. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
