England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team 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 have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.
“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments
Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both 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 Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand 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 Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”
