England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, 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 losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England'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 Playing 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 have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
