England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. 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 good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly 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 Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”