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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks 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.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said 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 playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear 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 this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves 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 improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”