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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

England will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding comfortable victory over the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps 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 remain unbeaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to raise a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is again expected to make a several changes to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to return 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 want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those 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 will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”