England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
