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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home triumph over the visitors in 13 years this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome boost with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and Tom Roebuck featured in the expanded squad announced on the weekend.

Recent Performances Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a commanding comfortable victory over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, each by fine margins. A trio of these defeats came against the Kiwis—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half missed late goal attempts.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and though the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, the team's sole win over the All Blacks was during the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

The Captain's Perspective 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 talent,” said former captain George. “It’s easy to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at this venue. We’re very proud to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we might have improved in the opening period this week. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We came under 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 exact opposite. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Scoring however many tries in the final segment of the match is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his side, with skipper the lock, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all expected to be reinstated to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but both have been included in the group preparing to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” commented the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great assessment for us.”

Earl's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s present ability to pull clear in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” said Earl, who was named player of the game against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the dressing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”