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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 hope to secure their maiden Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of 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 sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 victory over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. This strong run marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against New Zealand—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 loss at home after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated the Scots on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent clashes at England's home ground.

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 world-class talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to raise a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring multiple tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that England’s current ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against the Fijians. “But I question to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the success that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”