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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 secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side 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 put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “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 going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question 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 interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”