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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “perhaps 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 recent clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his side, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”