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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 hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side 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 final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

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

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand 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 visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides 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 keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”