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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 secure their first home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”