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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. 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 all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus 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 Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”