England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome 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. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks 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 awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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 arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
