England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
