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 secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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 finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among 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 the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
