England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” 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 the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
