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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome 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 suffered six defeats in seven matches, each by fine margins. Three of those losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we cracked it. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, 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 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 among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the dressing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”