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England's skipper has warned that the team must avoid being overwhelmed by New Zealand's formidable reputation if they aim to achieve their first home victory over the visitors in over a decade this Saturday.

Squad Boost Before Pivotal Fixture

England's head coach got a welcome lift with Elliot Daly returning to fitness and available for his first appearance since sustaining an injury on British & Irish Lions tour, while Freddie Steward and the wing were also named in the 37-man squad revealed on Sunday night.

Recent Performances Differs with Past Struggles

England will welcome the All Blacks after stretching their unbeaten run to nine games with a decisive comfortable win over Fiji, again pulling away in the closing stages. Their current form marks a dramatic shift from a year ago, when England suffered multiple losses in seven outings, all by narrow margins. A trio of these defeats were inflicted by New Zealand—two on the overseas tour and a tight reverse at Twickenham after the fly-half missed two late kicks.

The All Blacks just defeated Scotland on Saturday to keep aspirations of a clean sweep intact, and while South Africa cemented their top ranking, George described the All Blacks as “arguably the best side in the world.”

In the previous 11 meetings, England's only victory over the All Blacks was during the global tournament semi, and the visitors have not been beaten in the recent clashes at Twickenham.

George's Insight on Playing the All Blacks

“What a lot of teams do is stand in admiration of New Zealand with their legacy and all their world-class players,” stated the experienced hooker. “It’s tempting to do that. I’ve probably done it before. We must remember we’ll be playing at this venue. It’s an honour 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 without doubt the strongest team in the world right now. They’re an exceptionally skilled team and they appear 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 first half this week. Additionally, develop a clear gameplan which can put them under as much stress as we are able to. If we do that, we’ll give ourselves a opportunity.

“We faced a bit of heat 12 months ago for not coming out on the winning end of close contests and not finding a way to win. Currently, we’re doing the complete reverse. By no means have we solved everything. But we’ve placed a big emphasis on the final phases of games and closing games out. Notching however many tries in the last quarter of the match is a mark of a quality team.”

The Coach's Outlook and Team Adjustments

The England coach is again expected to make a number of adjustments to his lineup, with captain the lock, the flanker, and Ford all expected to return to the starting lineup. Tommy Freeman and the newcomer each suffered issues against Fiji but have been selected in the squad preparing to take on New Zealand.

“We want to challenge ourselves against the best teams and [New Zealand] are one of those best teams,” said the head coach. “Our team is youthful, we’re developing, I think we’re growing rapidly and we’re keen to learn. So I’m sure next week’s will be a great test for us.”

The Star's Take on Growth

The number eight, in addition, thinks that England’s present ability to break away in the closing stages of games owes much to their triple close losses by New Zealand last year. “You feel seasoned, as if you’ve got the wounds, you’ve got the experience to build on those setbacks, and they stung at the time,” remarked Earl, who was awarded player of the game against Fiji. “But I question to a man in the changing room, if we’d alter our path now, with the joy that we’re sometimes experiencing? I’d be interested to know because I think they’re extremely valuable lessons.”