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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks 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 last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad 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,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”