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Jamie George has cautioned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they hope to secure their maiden home triumph over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Ahead of Crucial Fixture

England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back recovering from injury and in contention for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man group announced on the weekend.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

The home side host the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 win over Fiji, again pulling away in the final quarter. This strong run stands in stark contrast from 12 months back, when the team suffered six defeats in seven outings, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses were inflicted by the Kiwis—two on the 2024 summer tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after George Ford missed late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on the weekend to keep hopes of a home nations grand slam intact, and though South Africa cemented their number one spot, the captain has hailed New Zealand as “arguably the top team in the world.”

In the previous 11 encounters, the team's only victory 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.

George's Perspective on Facing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is stand in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class talent,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at this venue. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do all we can to win that game.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled squad and they appear to raise a gear when they visit Allianz Stadium. Our focus for us is is work out where we could have been better in the first half this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago 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. Not at all have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and finishing strongly. Notching however many tries in the final segment of that game is a sign of a good team.”

The Coach's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of changes to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the starting lineup. The wing and the newcomer each suffered issues against the Islanders but both have been selected in the group getting ready to face the All Blacks.

“We want to test our mettle against the top sides and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “We’re a young side, we’re evolving, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re eager to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great assessment for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, thinks that the team's current ability to break away in the dying minutes of matches owes much to their three narrow defeats by New Zealand the previous year. “You feel seasoned, you feel like you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the scar tissue to learn from those setbacks, and they hurt at the time,” said Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder 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 extremely valuable lessons.”