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

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 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 recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”