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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. 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 without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year 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 placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”