Ford And George Urge England To Make History By Beating New Zealand

Maro Itoje’s England person been urged to cement their spot successful sporting fable by becoming only nan nation’s ninth ever broadside to conclusion nan All Blacks.

England caput into Saturday’s crunch conflict arsenic marginal favourites, pinch meaning a first Twickenham triumph complete New Zealand for 13 years, and George Ford has revealed that nan erstwhile skipper Jamie George has issued a telephone to arms, imploring his teammates to carve themselves a portion of history.

Steve Borthwick’s broadside are connected a nine-match winning tally but England’s men person mislaid their past 3 Tests against New Zealand and person not beaten nan All Blacks since nan 2019 World Cup semi-final. The past clip they defeated New Zealand astatine Twickenham was successful 2012, erstwhile Manu Tuilagi ran riot.

Saturday’s lucifer is nan 47th gathering betwixt nan sides and England person triumphed connected only 8 occasions successful nan fixture’s 120-year history but Borthwick’s troops consciousness their opportunity to make a sanction for themselves. Since 2012, New Zealand person won 4 of nan 5 Twickenham games while nan 2022 lucifer ended successful a draw. Addressing England’s hold for a location victory, nan fly-half Ford said: “It’s a agelong clip ago, isn’t it? It makes maine consciousness old.

Jamie George makes a break during England’s past triumph against New Zealand, their 2019 World Cup semi-final. Photograph: Richard Heathcote/World Rugby/Getty Images

“There’s only been 8 ever. It’s like: ‘Come on, let’s person a ninth now. 100 per cent. Let’s alteration that.’ Jamie mentioned thing to nan squad earlier. I deliberation nan past clip England hit New Zealand astatine Twickenham was 2012. And group still spell connected astir 2012.

“And past [Jamie] flipped it and said: ‘This is nan opportunity we person successful beforehand of us. Why can’t we beryllium nan adjacent squad that, 2025, that they talk about?’ The New Zealand crippled astatine Twickenham, 13 years ago, was nan past one. It’s decidedly portion of my motivation.”

Ford, who missed 2 precocious chances to footwear England to triumph a twelvemonth ago, is 1 of six members of England’s squad who appeared successful nan 2019 World Cup semi-final and believes nan people of 2025 must transportation nan conflict to nan All Blacks successful bid to repetition nan trick. “There is simply a belief, 100%, you tin consciousness that successful nan week,” he said. “And you are precisely right. You’ve sewage to spell astatine a squad for illustration this successful each area of nan game. When we’ve sewage nan ball, we’ve sewage to spell astatine them. And erstwhile they’ve sewage nan ball, we’ve sewage to spell astatine them. The kicking game, nan group piece, we’ve sewage to spell astatine them.”

England lined up successful a V-formation to look nan haka earlier nan 2019 semi-final, while for last year’s 24-22 defeat they precocious to nan halfway line, overmuch to nan delight of nan Twickenham crowd. Asked if England had immoderate plans to antagonistic nan haka, nan tighthead prop Joe Heyes said: “I don’t deliberation so, no. Let’s dream our rugby [gets nan crowd going]. When our backs are against nan wall aliases we’re going well, nan crowd present really does rev you up and it does thief because you are blowing. You benignant of hide they’re location sometimes and to cognize they’re location supporting you is monolithic for us.”