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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by the All Blacks' legendary status if they aim to secure their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Team Updates Before Pivotal Clash

England's head coach got a welcome boost with Elliot Daly recovering from injury and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad announced on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Previous Woes

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their winning streak to nine matches with a commanding 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England endured multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—during the 2024 summer tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with two late kicks.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep alive, and while South Africa secured their top spot, George has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

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

George's Insight on Facing the Kiwis

“What a lot of teams do is sit back in admiration of the All Blacks with their history and all their world-class players,” 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 playing at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do everything we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world at the minute. They are a exceptionally skilled squad and they seem to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us is is work out where we might have improved in the first half last time. 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 faced a lot of criticism 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not figuring out how to win. Now, we’re doing the complete reverse. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases 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 Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a several changes to his lineup, with skipper the lock, the flanker, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but have been selected in the group getting ready to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are among best teams,” commented the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re growing quickly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Progress

The number eight, in addition, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their three narrow defeats by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the scar tissue to learn from those losses, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question among the squad in the changing room, if we’d alter our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very priceless lessons.”