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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

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

The Captain'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 world-class talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”