England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. 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 everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
