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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 first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out 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 solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, 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 selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly 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

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”