England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture
Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on 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 Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember 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. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear 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, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, 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 finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named 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 success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
