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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed 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 Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “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 playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team 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 opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from 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 dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”