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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 first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all 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 final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the squad preparing to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got 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 wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”