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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”