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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 hope to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain 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 the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much stress 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 right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “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.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”