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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the group preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”