England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, 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 awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
