England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, 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 global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
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,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
