England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. 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 come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
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 last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
