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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure 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 the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”