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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all 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 team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”