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 weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves 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 growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
