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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said 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 competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”