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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 achieve their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while the Springboks secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each suffered issues against Fiji but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, 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 sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”