England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury 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 group announced 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 commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus 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.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded 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 interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
