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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

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

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing 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. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”