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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 secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible 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 this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end 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 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 sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”