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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 first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to raise a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”