England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under 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 exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
