England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
