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 Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
