England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected 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 best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
