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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses 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 George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled 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. But also, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“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 going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”