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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out 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 possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

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

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”