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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

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

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured 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 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 home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”