England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise 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 last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said 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 valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
