England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
