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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 first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”