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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“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 developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”