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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a timely boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group revealed on the weekend.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

The home side host the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over the Pacific Islanders, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to maintain aspirations of a home nations grand slam intact, and while South Africa secured their number one ranking, George described the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, the team's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“It’s vital to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to Allianz Stadium. The important thing for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. Additionally, develop a defined gameplan which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We came under a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a good team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his side, with captain the lock, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We aim to test our mettle against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said Borthwick. “We’re a young side, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s present ability to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks the previous year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be curious to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”