England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured 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 tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said 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 this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end 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 strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle 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 rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
