England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said 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 assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
