England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward 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 stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
