England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz 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 defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
