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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man 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.”