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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”