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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”