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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 home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”