England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, 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 awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle 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 improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
