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 home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure 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 close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis 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.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game 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 experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
