England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team'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.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy 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 last year for not coming out on the winning end 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 put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team'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 seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing 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.”
