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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, 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 New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can apply as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”