England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
