England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight 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 talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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 valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, 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 awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
