England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes 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 world-class players,” 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 everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half 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 preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
