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 achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks 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 have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here 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 best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side 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 multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”