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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad announced on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear 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 this week. But also, develop a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, 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 included in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that the team's present capacity to break away in the dying minutes of matches is largely due to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”