England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 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 suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team 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 New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “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 competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many 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 changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly 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 England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
