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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 aim to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury 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 extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced 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 complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”