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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 maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win 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

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”