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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, develop a clear 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 faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side 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 big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”