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.
Squirrel
Guest
Not as bad as qld supporters . They are the most one eyed in the world
ChrisT
Guest
You simply sound as rattled as McCaw did during his on pitch interview ......
expathack
Guest
And yep, true to character, both bizarre and chippy. Well played lad.
djackedinc
Guest
Yet you keep losing huh?
Derek
Guest
A lot of NZers have rose-tinted glasses (myself included) when it comes to the English. We have the belief that we should win and win comfortably against NH sides. The French has historically been our bogey side and I think with the WC win we've finally put that to rest (it also helps that they just got trounced). We didn't lose the match, but what's unsettling is that other sides are getting better and our gameplan doesn't seem to be moving on. since 1995 we've set our own standards on how to play rugby - fitness first, fast, mobile, counterattack, up and unders. We once thought that as long as we score more tries we'd be fine; we're now in this headspace where, if we weather the storm, not worry about territory or ball in hand, we'll come through eventually. Yes, it's worked so far, but if we don't figure out a new gameplan we're going to have a moment like the first 40mins against Ireland last year. And not have an answer for it. England now have a good midfield and FB weapon, Oz are on the rise and the Boks are a major threat.
JimmyB
Guest
"Unlike you I'm sophisticated and adult enough..." Gold, absolute gold. I'm sorry I'm going to have to change my nappy now, a little bit of pee came out just then. You, my friend are neither adult nor sophisticated, you're a sad little twerp and the single biggest **** on this website. Congratulations!
JimmyB
Guest
Dear oh dear, expat looks like you have a new cohort in Henry. Sad little boys the pair of you, not shown enough affection by mummy?!
JimmyB
Guest
N.o.b
expathack
Guest
I'm confused by something. Did NZ lose this match?? The way people are carrying on here it seems like they did. Yet the scoreboard seems to say something different, 20-15, 1 try to nil.
expathack
Guest
And its always just over the horizon mate. Might want to wait until you've won something before you start crowing.
expathack
Guest
Of course if you're an English supporter how could the mighty English team not be constantly just about to do something they haven't done in the last five years, which is win anything of note.... If only all those biased refs, or six nations schedule, or premiership final, or soreboard didn't get in the way....
WQ
Guest
Of course it's not good enough! After all if you are a Wallaby or Springbok supporter, how could the lowly English almost do something they have not been able to do!!!!
expathack
Guest
And it always amuses me ... actually no saddens me really ....reading your posts Jimmy. If you happen to reside in Australia (otherwise why else would you be haunting an Australian website?) your missives are no doubt banged out from an overcrowded sharehouse in the back streets of coogee, lobster-red face face still sweating with the exertion of moving from bed to keyboard. The lingering infection from your poorly inked three lions tattoo seems to have addled your brain to the point where a post alluding to the undeniable fact that your team lost somehow becomes "a barely disguised hatred of all things English". A pretty bizarre assertion to make, even for you my friend. To answer your question as to how I'm able to spend time over in your place of birth yet still find the attitude of posters such as yourself so nails-down-the-chalkboard painful? it's pretty simple really..... Unlike you I'm sophisticated and adult enough to know that there's multiple facets to any one country or culture. Fortunately for all involved, the majority of folks over here in this green and pleasant land are completely different to the blokes like you who seem to spend your days policing the internet for queen and empire, dripping with conviction of the natural superiority of the English sportsman even while your teams are getting a towelling. Not surprising, though, that you seem to believe all your fellow country folk are the same as you. That same singular kind of arrogance of thought shines through in each and every post you make. But your hyper-sensitivity to any perceived criticsm of anything involving England just highlights the split in nature between the majority of your fellow countrymen, and this bizarre chippy little subculture you inhabit along with a couple of your fellow posters and a large slice of your sportswriters. Huzzah!
expathack
Guest
What are you talking sbout mate. They didn't lose the rugby by 30. It was an English triumph! No wonder they're crowing.
Pete
Guest
Nah, still South Africa. That Ellis Park test last year was epic (although I'd rate England ahead of Australia now as our 2nd biggest rival).
chuck
Guest
look at your history book when the allblacks won with 13 men at twickers and Irish ref tried very hard too get England over the line
JimmyB
Guest
What makes you think that England will be complacent? They lost.
Firstxv
Guest
Two years ago Ireland pushed the ABs closer than England did last night. Within one week they would lose the next meeting 60-0. So if theres one side that can turn around 30 points its the ABs. Any shred of complacency on Englands part this week will be dealt to...severely. As good as England are, theyre not yet on the same page as the ABs, not consistent enough. The ABs would win the 6N just about every year where England cannot put together enough consistency to win it even once recently. next week is about testing that consistency. We arent in the one off world in this series, and its possible England have had their one off. But do they have consistency?
JimmyB
Guest
Who exactly are you ranting at?
The V Man
Guest
'The performance means more than result'. Sorry - I nearly fell off my seat. Ha ha ha. The worst AB performance in living memory puts away the Poms and it's all about how bad NZ are going! I hope you are blogging next Sunday and not hiding.......it is always about the result!!!! At least we agree the AB's don't make excuses. I expect we will see a difference next week.