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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable win over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

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

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour 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’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under 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 exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”