England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against 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 Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented 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 New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included 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 best teams,” said 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 will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
