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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing 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 peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager 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 capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”