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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember 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 arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”