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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. 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 level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end 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 strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”