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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 achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy 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 will 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 unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses 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 setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”