England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented 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 valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
