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 maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced 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 exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
