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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 secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand 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 hurt at the time,” remarked 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 path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”