England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
