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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.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

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

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

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”