England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said 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 back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said 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 will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
