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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand 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 suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud 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 best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, 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. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”