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

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up 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 last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams 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 assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”