England's captain Warns Team Not to Sit Back at New Zealand's Aura

England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 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 exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, 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 path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”