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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

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

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all 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 Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“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. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”