England's captain Admonishes Team Not to Sit Back at New Zealand's Mystique

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 Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”