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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks cemented their number one spot, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand 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 competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we could have been better in the opening period last time. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was named man of the match against the Fijians. “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 curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”