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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

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

George's Insight on Playing 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 players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat 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 cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”