England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching 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 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
