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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy 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 come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how 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 however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current 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, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”