England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
