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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side should steer clear of being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in 13 years this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Crucial Fixture

England's head coach has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for his first appearance since suffering an injury on Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing featured in the expanded squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine games with a commanding comfortable win over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured 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 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to keep hopes of a clean sweep alive, and though the Springboks secured their number one spot, George described New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Perspective on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” said former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital to be at your peak. New Zealand are without doubt the best side in the world at the minute. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the first half this week. But also, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

Borthwick is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso each took knocks against Fiji but both have been selected in the group getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a valuable test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “It leaves you seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes enjoying? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”