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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have 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 will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put 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.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji 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 elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed 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.”