England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
