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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” 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 next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”