Jamie George Cautions Squad Not to Stand in Awe at All Blacks' Aura

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

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain described New Zealand as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. But also, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not emerging on the winning end of tight games and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a sign of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with skipper Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been included in the squad getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was named player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”