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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 home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis 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 View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”