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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 aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team 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 have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing 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 priceless lessons.”