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 maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.
Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture
England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.
Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles
England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.
New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”
Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.
The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis
“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything 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 right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined 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 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”
The Coach's View and Team Adjustments
The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.
“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”
The Star's Reflection on Progress
Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match 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 very, very priceless lessons.”
