England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” 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 back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how 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. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
