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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks 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 Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, 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

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, 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 changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”