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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

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

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”