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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 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 solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”