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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

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

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”