England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed 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 Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all 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 unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
