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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 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 without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”