England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
