England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, 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 valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
