England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away 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. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said 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 will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim 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 improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much 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 got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
