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 triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up 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. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging 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 solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
