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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching 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 a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors 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 history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to 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 right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”