England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration 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 in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply 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 winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
