England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital 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 level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear 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 lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want 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 improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
