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 home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift 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 Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.
“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
