England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus 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 good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among 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 next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
