England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, 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 home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt 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 come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
