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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented 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 next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”