England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level 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. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
