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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”