England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both 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 among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named 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 success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
