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 first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle 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 rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
