England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five 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 the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
