England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win 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. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter 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.”
