England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
