England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing 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,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question 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 valuable lessons.”
