England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
