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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here 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 best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure 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 right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if 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 awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”