England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win 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 sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” 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 everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like 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 player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
