Roar Guru
The Kiwi press have largely derided England’s decision not to select a full-strength team for the first Test. Can England prove everybody wrong and tame the All Blacks? Join The Roar for live scores and coverage from 5:30pm AEST.
The All Blacks are not buying into any talk that the English are under-strength, with coach Steve Hansen selecting a side laden with 968 Test caps.
Debuts await for Patrick Tuipulotu, TJ Perenara and Malakai Fekitoa, all named on the bench, otherwise the squad is very familiar with the pressures of Test rugby.
Julian Savea is out injured, but is replaced by the more experienced Corey Jane. Kieran Read is out injured, but is replaced by the vastly experienced Jerome Kaino. Aaron Cruden – despite recent injury in Super Rugby – is the preferred starter at first-five ahead of the in-form Beauden Barrett and Colin Slade.
The All Blacks have won 14 Tests in a row, 31 in a row at Eden Park. How can a weakened England possibly challenge the All Blacks?
On paper the English side is not bad. Combined, England only shares 299 Test caps, but they have a number of players who could threaten the All Blacks.
Geoff Parling and Joe Launchbury are two tough and hard-working locks. Chris Robshaw and Ben Morgan are effective loose forwards. Robshaw is immense on defence and Morgan is a powerful ball carrier.
Fullback Mike Brown scored four tries in the Six Nations and was one of the competition’s best-performed players, while centre Manu Tuilagi destroyed the All Blacks in 2012.
Under Stuart Lancaster England has won 18 out of 27 Tests and is the only side since the 2011 World Cup to defeat the All Blacks.
Still, All Blacks by 10.