England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“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 must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. 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 however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
