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 triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing 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 evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
