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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 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 clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, 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 test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”