England respect All Blacks but here to win - George
England captain Jamie George says his side will not be in awe of the All Blacks as they bid to win a series in New Zealand for the first time.
Only twice has an England side won a Test match in New Zealand - in 1973 and 2003 - and never a two or three-match series.
England face the All Blacks in Dunedin on 6 July and at Eden Park in Auckland a week later.
"I think the aura and the respect that we have for them is as high as it has even been," George told BBC Sport.
"But at the same time we can't sit back and pay too much respect, we have got to go over there and assert ourselves in the way that we want to.
"If we are just in awe of what the All Blacks are, then we are not going to be in the right headspace to go out and beat them.
"And that is our intention. To go over there and beat New Zealand in New Zealand."
England tuned up for the All Blacks series with a convincing 52-17 win over Japan in Tokyo, and land in New Zealand this week determined to make history.
"What I am excited about for the guys that haven't toured New Zealand is the passion for rugby in New Zealand," George added.
"You walk down the street and everyone loves the All Blacks and loves telling you how much the All Blacks are going to beat you by.
"It is all part of the amazing journey of touring New Zealand.
"It’s challenging because they are a great team with amazing support, but at the same time I think we are really happy with where we are at, and if we go down there as underdogs we don't mind that either," George said.
'We can't dip our toe in'
The Saracens hooker last toured New Zealand with the British and Irish Lions in 2017, when the Lions recovered from a slow start in the first Test to win the second and then pull off an improbable series draw in the third.
"I've been over there and I know how hard it is to beat the All Blacks in New Zealand. I learnt a huge amount in 2017," George said.
"[The first Test] is a big regret of mine. I was pretty young into my international career and it was the biggest game that I had ever played in.
"But we sort of dipped our toe in, whereas in the second Test and the third we started to take them on rather than waiting to see how good they were.
"Sitting back and waiting and wondering what the All Blacks are going to be all about - that is not what we've got to do. We've got to make sure we try and go over there and play the England way."
'We've got to play like New Zealand'
New All Blacks head coach Scott Robertson named his first squad earlier this week, with experienced forward Scott Barrett captaining a group with five uncapped players and without a host of modern-day greats.
Aaron Smith, Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick and Dane Coles were among those to retire from international duty following the narrow Rugby World Cup final defeat by South Africa.
Whitelock - who played his last professional game for the Barbarians against Fiji at Twickenham on Saturday - has urged Robertson to be true to New Zealand’s identity as the former Crusaders coach starts a new era of All Blacks rugby.
"As long as, whatever happens, we back our strength. That has always been our way of playing, our style, our flair," Whitelock told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"Whatever happens we've got to back what we are really good at. There is no point us trying to play like England, or South Africa or Australia.
"We have got to play like New Zealand, and play the way we know how to."
