England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
