England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out 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 possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game 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.”
