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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”