England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. 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 right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
