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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have 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 raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”