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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 home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

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

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game 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 sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”