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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting 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 everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this 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 clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” 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 next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’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. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”