England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy 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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
