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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering 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 Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, 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 assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”