England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury 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 announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly 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 Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game 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 enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
