England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. 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.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected 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 squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
