England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half 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 give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
