England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably 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 visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
