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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures 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 talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy 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 emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, 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 closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”