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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each 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 among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”