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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs 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, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

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

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic 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 might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”