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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all 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 right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem 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 opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”