England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective 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 incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under 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. By no means 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 mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt 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 path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
