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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their top spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour 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 strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear 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. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, 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 finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”