England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan 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 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
