England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these 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 just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing 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 tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“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 raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way 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. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready 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 developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
