England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford 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 secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand 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 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim 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 rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue 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 journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
