England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, 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 Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined 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 lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said 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 will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
