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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

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

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”