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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 maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how 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. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

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

The Star's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”