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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run 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 the team endured six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period last time. But also, have a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but have been included in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”