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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 first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. 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 best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” 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 the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”