England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among 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 test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
