England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks 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 Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand 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 must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a 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 this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
