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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable 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 suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective 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 talent,” said 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 competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing 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 very, very priceless lessons.”