England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all 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 mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, 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. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
