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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and the wing featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Differs with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak 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 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after George Ford failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the best side in the world.”

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

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible players,” said the experienced hooker. “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. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined strategy which can apply as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging 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 cracked it. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso both suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s present capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games owes much to their triple close losses by the All Blacks the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”