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Jamie George has cautioned that Steve Borthwick's side must avoid being intimidated by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to secure their first home victory over the Kiwis in 13 years this weekend.

Squad Boost Ahead of Pivotal Fixture

Steve Borthwick got a timely lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for selection since sustaining an arm fracture on British & Irish Lions tour, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Past Struggles

The home side will welcome the All Blacks after extending their unbeaten run to nine matches with a decisive 38-18 victory over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form stands in stark contrast from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, each by fine margins. Three of those defeats came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight loss at Twickenham after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

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

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over New Zealand was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent fixtures at England's home ground.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of the All Blacks with their history and all their incredible talent,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it in the past. We must remember we’ll be back here at Allianz Stadium. We’re very proud to be playing here. We will do all we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your peak. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They’re an unbelievably fantastic squad and they seem to step up a level when they come to this stadium. Our focus for us to do is work out where we could have been better in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we possibly can. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a lot of criticism last year for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way 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 final phases of games and finishing strongly. Scoring multiple tries in the final segment of that game is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Team Adjustments

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain Maro Itoje, the flanker, and the fly-half all set to be reinstated to the first XV. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against the Islanders but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on the All Blacks.

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

Earl's Take on Growth

Ben Earl, meanwhile, believes that England’s current capacity to break away in the closing stages of games is largely due to their triple close losses by the All Blacks last year. “You feel battle-hardened, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve developed the experience to build on those losses, and they hurt at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded man of the match against the Fijians. “But I wonder to a man in the changing room, would we have changed our journey now, with the joy that we’re now experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely priceless lessons.”