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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward 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 extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks 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 remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year 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. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, 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 test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”