England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
