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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their top ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want 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 evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”