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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

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 the Pacific Islanders, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, the captain described the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand 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 legacy and all their world-class talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end 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 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 sign of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to return to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”