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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to achieve their first Twickenham triumph over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 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, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We are going to do all we can to come out on top.

“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 team and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined strategy which can put them under as much pressure as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means 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 that game is a sign of a good team.”

Borthwick's Outlook and Team Changes

The England coach 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. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the group getting ready to face 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 evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to pull clear in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”