England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything 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 at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly 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, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
