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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means 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 last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel 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,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”