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 maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all 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 team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way 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 closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
