England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
