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 first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five 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 admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging 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 multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“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 developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
