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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”