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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 achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, 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 Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe 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 before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. 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 best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving 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 Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”