England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
