England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you 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,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
