England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks 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 Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, 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 Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
