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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures 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 legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy 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 playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a several 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 the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”