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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their maiden Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a timely boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck were also named in the expanded group revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, 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 defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the opening period this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”