England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware 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.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, 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 figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji 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 one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
