England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.
Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like 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 awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”