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

Team Updates Before Crucial 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 Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “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 assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous 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 stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”