England's captain Cautions Squad Against Stand in Awe at New Zealand's Aura

England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means 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 final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”