England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”