England Sam Underhill is tackled by New Zealand Scott Barrett, New Zealand All Blacks v England, 2nd Rugby Union Test Match. Eden Park. Photo: Photosport
All Blacks v England
Kick-off: 4:10am Sunday 3 November
Allianz Stadium (Twickenham), London
Live blog updates on RNZ Sport
The hard work starts now. After an entirely predictable big win over Japan last weekend, the All Blacks head to one of the most daunting venues in test rugby to face an England team keen for revenge. This is another big test in a very tough debut season for coach Scott Robertson, however his side has two other very tough test matches to follow this one in the coming weeks.
Why this is important
Scott Robertson. Photo: Photosport / Kerry Marshall
The All Blacks currently have a seven win, three loss record so far in 2024. One more loss and this will get into the territory of most ever in a season, something Robertson is desperate to avoid. Going to Twickenham and putting on a dominant performance will send a clear message to Ireland and France, who the All Blacks play next, that they mean business.
What happened last time
England came to New Zealand in July for two highly competitive test matches. The All Blacks won both, but really they could've gone either way had it not been for a couple of crucial calls and the bounce of the ball. The 16-15 result in Dunedin was Robertson's first test win as coach, while the 24-17 result at Eden Park saw a masterful display off the bench by Beauden Barrett.
What can we expect out of England
England's Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Henry Slade celebrate. Photo: Photosport / Kerry Marshall
England have always had the reputation of being a forward-oriented, kick-heavy team but that's certainly not the way to describe Steve Borthwick's side right now. Their back three of George Furbank, Immanuel Feyi-Waboso and Tommy Freeman were outstanding on the counterattack in July, with first five Marcus Smith an out and out attacking player. It's actually probably fair to say they possess a slightly more well-rounded attacking game than the All Blacks.
What we should expect out of the All Blacks
That's because while the All Blacks have scored some cracking tries and created plenty of opportunities, they've been hampered by the fact that the attacking intent has failed to click in the second half of test matches. Even against a bunny team like Japan the All Blacks couldn't score between the 43rd and 77th minutes. That will need to change, however the forward effort has been solid so the scrum will continue to be an important area for winning penalties and field position.
Who to watch out for
England forward Chandler Cunningham-South takes on the All Blacks in the first test in Dunedin. Photo: Photosport
Tupou Vaa'i will be a key man for the All Blacks, as he will be up against the player who his massive rise to prominence this season most closely resembles. Maro Itoje has been a mainstay of the English pack for years now and has perfected the art of being an incredible worker at the breakdown.
The aforementioned English attacking threats out wide will be up against a predicted All Black combo of the in form Caleb Clarke and Will Jordan, however who plays fullback will be interesting. Stephen Perofeta was very good in the first test of the year; however his spot will be dependant on what Robertson does with Damian McKenzie and Beauden Barrett.
Up front, Tyrel Lomax and Ethan de Groot will have a big job subduing an English scrum that would've learned a lot since July. The loose forward trio of Chandler Cunningham-South, Tom Curry and Ben Earl are key to England's hopes, they were outstanding the last time the sides met.
Who's going to win
The All Blacks are certainly a better team than the one that played England in July, that's for sure. They also have the advantage of test match experience since - that July series was the end of England's season and this will be their first time back together. But, if the All Blacks can't find a way to keep scoring in the second half, it's going to be a very tough ask. They haven't won at Twickenham since 2018 and the last time they played there was the biggest loss in their history, so the motivation is there to turn the page and look forward to a new All Black era.
England: 1. Ellis Genge 2. Jamie George (c) 3. Will Stuart 4. Maro Itoje 5. George Martin 6. Chandler Cunningham-South 7. Tom Curry 8. Ben Earl 9. Ben Spencer 10. Marcus Smith 11. Tommy Freeman 12. Ollie Lawrence 13. Henry Slade 14. Immanuel Feyi-Waboso 15. George Furbank
Bench: 16. Theo Dan 17. Fin Baxter 18. Dan Cole 19. Nick Isiekwe 20. Ben Curry 21. Alex Dombrandt 22. Harry Randall 23. George Ford
All Blacks: TBC
