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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost 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 group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

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

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”