England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back 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. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad 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 might have improved in the opening period last time. 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 faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out 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 put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
