England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class 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. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed 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.”
