England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“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 team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but 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 best teams,” said the head coach. “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 going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if 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 awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder 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 extremely priceless lessons.”
