England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said 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 the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
