England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here 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 peak. 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 gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad 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. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
