England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, 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, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
