England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear 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 last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed 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 View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”