England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side 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 fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe 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 in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year 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 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.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides 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 quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, 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 Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
