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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 Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, 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 New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 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. By no means have we solved everything. 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.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”