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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a decisive 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered multiple losses in seven matches, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the 2024 summer tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain hopes of a clean sweep alive, and while the Springboks secured their top spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their history 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they seem to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing 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 apply as much pressure as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against Fiji but have been included 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,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”