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 maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.
Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have 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 will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented 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 next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Progress
The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
