England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included 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. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly 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, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
