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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing 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 Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”