England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. 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 however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
