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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 achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

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

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”