England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
