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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 victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer 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 maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything 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 unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said 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 assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel 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,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”