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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team 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 New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting 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 everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”