England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
