England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow 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 failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
