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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

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

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”