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 maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by 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 Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware 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 peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, 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. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder 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 interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
