England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to 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, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
