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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle 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 next week’s going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”