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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory 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 multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

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

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud 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 right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put 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 good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”