England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current 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 battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue 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 changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
