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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome New Zealand after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. Their current form 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 were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 loss at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on the weekend to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and though South Africa secured their top ranking, George has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, the team's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be playing here. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic team and they seem to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half this week. Additionally, have a clear gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll create 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 placed a strong focus on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all expected to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a valuable assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's current ability to pull clear in the closing stages of games is largely due 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 setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”