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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered 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 tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

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

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration 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 must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but 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,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”