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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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 playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. 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 came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”