England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply 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 emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both 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 best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
