England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
