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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”