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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures 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 back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”