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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 triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible 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. We’re very proud 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. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, 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.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, 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 the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”