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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 aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”