England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.
Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash
England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.
Current Form Differs with Past Struggles
The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.
The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”
In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win 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 All Blacks
“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this 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 strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.
“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”
The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes
The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.
“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Growth
The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if 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 awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
