England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history 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 back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer 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 top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “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 interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
