England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.
Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.
England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.
“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.
“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”
Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”
The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”
Elena Hartwell is a multidisciplinary artist and educator passionate about fostering creative communities in London.