England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. 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 strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
