England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”
Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
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 world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “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 Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side 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 to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”
Earl's Take on Progress
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”
