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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have 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 lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games 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 big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”