England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything 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 right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to 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 apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away 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 been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
