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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks 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 Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”