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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run 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 endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated 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 playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing 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 extremely valuable lessons.”