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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. 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 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 put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, 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,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”