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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory 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 six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” 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 the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”