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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can apply as much stress 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said 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 next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”