England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash
Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.
Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes
England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick's View and Squad Changes
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”
The Star's Take on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear 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, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
