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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden home triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team endured multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. 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 right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes 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 experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”