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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

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

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their top spot, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”