England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa 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 sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history 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 back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear 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 put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man 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 extremely valuable lessons.”
