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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 home victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at Twickenham after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while the Springboks secured their top ranking, the captain described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory over New Zealand was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy 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. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, 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 faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the right side of close contests and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is again expected to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both suffered issues against the Islanders but have been included in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides 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 quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that the team's current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”