England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
