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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, 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 George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, 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.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”