England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out 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. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
