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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. 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 without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to this 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 pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”