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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 aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

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

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will 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 right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 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 complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly 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, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”