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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said 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 next week’s will be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man 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 extremely priceless lessons.”