England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “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 competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure 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 coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”