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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 aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “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 competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats 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 build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”