England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing 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 players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. 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 complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper 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 both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
