England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, 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 last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests 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 big emphasis 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 good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
