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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during 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 All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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 competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests 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 strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly 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 Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”