England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome 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 were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed 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 mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity 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 been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter 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.”
