England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection 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 Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. 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 the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” 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 great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
