England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Current Form Differs with Previous Woes
The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”
Borthwick's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.
“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented 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 great assessment for us.”
Earl's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
