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

Team Updates Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible players,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. 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 all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is identify where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. 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 exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”