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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

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

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks 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’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if 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 awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed 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.”