England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, 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.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder 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 priceless lessons.”
