England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out 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 placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
