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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their top spot, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

Borthwick 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 first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

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

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”