England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.
Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture
England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury 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 Contrasts with Previous Woes
The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.
New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.
The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.
“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Changes
The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.
“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented 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 valuable assessment for us.”
The Star's Take on Growth
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”
