England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “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.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
