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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis 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.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “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 curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”