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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 victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “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 all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves 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 improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”