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England's skipper has warned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, 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 losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. 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 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”