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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise 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 strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

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

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”