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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis 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 Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “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 interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”