England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by 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 just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
