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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side 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 placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”