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

Team Updates Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a timely lift with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since suffering an injury on British & Irish Lions duty, while the full-back and the wing were also named in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

England host New Zealand after stretching their winning streak to nine matches with a decisive comfortable victory over Fiji, romping clear in the final quarter. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when the team endured six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these losses came against New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford failed with late goal attempts.

The All Blacks narrowly edged out Scotland on the weekend to maintain hopes of a clean sweep intact, and while the Springboks cemented their number one ranking, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

Of the last 11 meetings, England's sole win over New Zealand came in the 2019 World Cup semi-final, and the visitors have not been beaten in the last five clashes at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of the All Blacks with their legacy and all their incredible talent,” said the experienced hooker. “It’s easy to do that. I have done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“It’s vital 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 appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the first half last time. Additionally, have a clear strategy which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a chance.

“We faced a lot of criticism last year for not emerging on the winning end of close contests and not figuring out how to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a strong focus on the latter stages of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's View and Team Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the first XV. The wing and the newcomer both took knocks against Fiji but have been included in the squad preparing to face New Zealand.

“We aim to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure the upcoming will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Progress

The number eight, meanwhile, believes that the team's present ability to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve developed the experience to learn from those losses, and they stung at the time,” remarked the back-rower, who was awarded player of the game 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 now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”