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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 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 England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year 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 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 Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”