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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 secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”