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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“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 easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among 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 valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”