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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, 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 stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything 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’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply 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 winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams 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 improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”