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 secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during 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 Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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 arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, 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 Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
