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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked 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 joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”