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 triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in 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 Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side 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 closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing 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 Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue 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 path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
