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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to face 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 improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”