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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 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 England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy 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.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side 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 put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, 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 valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed 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 Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”