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Jamie George has cautioned that the team should steer clear of being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first Twickenham victory over the Kiwis in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Crucial Clash

England's head coach got a timely lift with the versatile back returning to fitness and available for selection since suffering an arm fracture on Lions duty, while the full-back and Tom Roebuck featured in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Current Form Contrasts with Previous Woes

England host the All Blacks after stretching their winning streak to nine games with a commanding 38-18 win over Fiji, romping clear in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from 12 months back, when England suffered six defeats in seven matches, all by narrow margins. Three of those losses came against New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a 24-22 reverse at home after the fly-half failed with late goal attempts.

New Zealand narrowly edged out the Scots on Saturday to maintain hopes of a home nations grand slam alive, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, the captain has hailed the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

Of the last 11 encounters, England's sole win over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and New Zealand have not been beaten in the last five fixtures at Twickenham.

The Captain's Insight on Playing the Kiwis

“Many sides tend to is sit back in awe of New Zealand with their legacy and all their incredible players,” stated former captain George. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We’ve also got to be aware we’ll be playing at Allianz Stadium. It’s an honour to be competing at home. We will do everything we can to come out on top.

“You have to be at your best. The All Blacks are arguably the best side in the world right now. They are a exceptionally skilled team and they appear to step up a level when they visit this stadium. The important thing for us to do is identify where we might have improved in the opening period this week. Additionally, have a defined gameplan which can put them under as much pressure as we are able to. By doing so, we’ll create a opportunity.

“We came under a bit of heat 12 months ago for not emerging on the right side of tight games and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the exact opposite. Not at all have we cracked it. But we’ve put a big emphasis on the latter stages of games and finishing strongly. Notching multiple tries in the final segment of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

Borthwick's View and Squad Changes

The England coach is likely to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with skipper Maro Itoje, Tom Curry, and Ford all set to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each took knocks against Fiji but have been selected in the squad getting ready to take on the All Blacks.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the top sides and [New Zealand] are among elite squads,” said Borthwick. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re improving rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s going to be a great test for us.”

The Star's Reflection on Growth

Ben Earl, in addition, believes that the team's current capacity to break away in the dying minutes of games is largely due to their triple close losses by New Zealand the previous year. “It leaves you battle-hardened, you feel like you’ve been through battles, you’ve got the scar tissue to build on those losses, and they stung at the time,” said the back-rower, who was awarded man of the match against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the dressing room, would we have changed our path now, with the success that we’re now enjoying? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re very, very valuable lessons.”