England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging 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 put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides 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 will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
