England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests 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 finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
