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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 secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have 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 are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “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 great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes 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 got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”