England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, 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 named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
