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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”