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England's skipper has warned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they hope to secure their maiden Twickenham victory over the visitors in over a decade this weekend.

Team Updates Ahead of Crucial Clash

Steve Borthwick has received a welcome lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and in contention for selection since suffering an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions duty, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by the Kiwis—during the overseas tour and a tight loss at home after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and though South Africa secured their number one spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “perhaps the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's only victory over New Zealand came in the global tournament semi, and New Zealand remain unbeaten in the recent fixtures at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is stand in awe of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be playing here. We are going to do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your peak. New Zealand are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They are a unbelievably fantastic squad and they appear to step up a gear when they come to this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we could have been better in the first half last time. But also, develop a clear strategy which can apply as much stress as we possibly can. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a chance.

“We faced a bit of heat last year for not coming out on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the last quarter of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Squad Adjustments

Borthwick is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with captain the lock, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to be reinstated to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against the Islanders but both have been selected in the squad getting ready to face New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

Ben Earl, meanwhile, thinks that England’s present capacity to break away in the closing stages of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to build on those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I wonder among the squad in the changing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”