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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably 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 are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side 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 placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”