England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” 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. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, 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 enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
