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

Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps 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 recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply 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 right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”