England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end 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 big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams 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 keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
