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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 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 the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”