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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 aim to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

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

In the previous 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period last time. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 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. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”