Jamie George has cautioned 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 Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply 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 right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
