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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 Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run 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 suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus 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 good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

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

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”