Utter heartbreak for England. In three crazy final minutes, George Ford saw two match-winning opportunities slide agonisingly wide to enable New Zealand to complete a stunning comeback just when it looked like a first victory at Twickenham since 2012 had been secured.
First Ford saw a penalty attempt to win the game rebounded off the right-hand upright, but a knock-on then gifted England a scrum in front of the posts. As the clock ticked into red, England managed to set up a final drop-goal position, but Ford’s final effort just sailed wide. The Sale Sharks fly-half, who had been England’s drop-goal hero in the World Cup match against Argentina last year, could only hold his head in his hands.
It felt like such a missed opportunity. Having had to dig deep in the first half to stay in touch with New Zealand, who scored tries by Mark Telea and Will Jordan, with four penalties by Marcus Smith, England surged clear in the second half with a stunning second-half display.
Smith was the architect of England’s flourish, setting up a brilliant try by Immanuel Feyi-Waboso, with a 60-metre break from an interception from his own 22.
When a try by Beauden Barrett was chalked off for a deliberate knock-on by Caleb Clarke and Smith landed the penalty for what was effectively a 10-point swing, England looked on course for a statement victory.
And yet. No doubt Borthwick will look back on his decision to take Smith off with regret. Ford was lacking game time having just recovered from a quad injury lay-off, and England sat back, allowing New Zealand back into the game. A penalty by Damian McKenzie after a no-arms tackle by Ben Earl brought them to within a converted try of the lead and when Telea brushed off a tackle by Ford to score in the corner, McKenzie landed a brilliant touchline conversion to take the lead.
There was still more drama to come when England were awarded a penalty after Lienert-Brown was twice penalised and shown a yellow card for a dangerous tackle on Theo Dan, but Ford could not convert and England left empty-handed yet again for a third time against the All Blacks.
05:54 PM GMT
That ends today’s England-All Blacks blog
Another close defeat for the hosts who will need a win against the unheralded Australians at Twickenham.
05:51 PM GMT
Scrap that…
…the Scotland try was chalked off. You can still, however, follow that match here.
05:50 PM GMT
Scotland have just gone ahead against Fiji
You can follow that match here.
05:45 PM GMT
Is losing becoming a habit for England?
England fail to get over the line, again, despite:
Handling errors: England 13 New Zealand 20
Turnovers conceded: England 15 New Zealand 21
Penalties conceded: England 7 New Zealand 11#ENGvNZL— Ben Coles (@bencoles_) November 2, 2024
05:41 PM GMT
Who shone and who had a game to forget?
See what we thought here…
READ: England v New Zealand player ratings: Immanuel Feyi-Waboso becomes darling of Twickenham
05:40 PM GMT
Close but no cigar…
Yet another ‘oh so close’ defeat for Steve Borthwick’s side.
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France 33-31 England
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New Zealand 16-15 England
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New Zealand 24-17 England
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England 22-24 New Zealand
05:30 PM GMT
Here’s a bit of what Savea had to say…
On the dramatic finale…
“I didn’t think we had that in the end. We got lucky with the penalty kick, but rugby is a game of fine margins and we will take it.”
On the win…
“That game could’ve gone either way but for us to stay in it and defend the goal-line like that, I’m very proud of the boys. England’s pack were bringing line speed and they were putting big shots on us. It went back and forth but glad to get the win.”
05:24 PM GMT
Ardie Savea speaking to TNT
05:21 PM GMT
Chris Ashton on the BBC
“George Ford will be more upset by the missed penalty, not the drop-goal necessarily. The scrum put England under pressure and then every hit from New Zealand stopped them in their tracks.
“Similar to the summer, they were so close but they haven’t got the job done.”
05:20 PM GMT
The thoughts of Wallace Sititi
05:17 PM GMT
Despair for England, delight for New Zealand
05:15 PM GMT
Matt Dawson on the BBC
“It was utter chaos. All it needed was the composure from George Ford but you cannot put the blame on him.
“It was a terrible pass under pressure. England had their chances and the moment they look like they want to play, they look dangerous.”
05:09 PM GMT
New Zealand win
Ford is in the pocket, waiting for a chance of a drop goal. England go through the phases and eventually they go for it. Randall’s pass back to Ford is terrible and Ford’s drop-goal attempt slides past the right post. That is it and New Zealand edge it 24-22. England are devastated.
05:08 PM GMT
80 mins: England 22 New Zealand 24
England appeal for a high tackle but nothing given. Into the red we go…
05:07 PM GMT
79 mins: England 22 New Zealand 24
IT HITS THE POST! Ford cannot land it but Tuipulotu knocks on after a tackle from Slade. One minute left with England have a scrum in front of the posts.
05:05 PM GMT
78 mins: England 22 New Zealand 24
Lienert-Brown is the man at fault for both. It is head-on-head contact with Dan and that reaches the yellow-card threshold. That incident will now be sent to the bunker for a review to see if it should be upgraded to red. England will have a penalty inside the New Zealand half.
Eventually they find the mark and Ford will go for goal to put England back ahead. It is just over ten metres into the New Zealand half.
05:03 PM GMT
78 mins: England 22 New Zealand 24
Another tackle off the ball that initially Angus Gardner does not originally see but now is given. It is very surprising how the referee has not seen some of these incidents in real time when they have been so obvious. Lienert-Brown is sent to the bin for that tackle but is also in trouble for a head-on-head contact with Dan…
05:01 PM GMT
TRY! Telea gets over in the corner to give New Zealand late lead
New Zealand bring the game level with Telea’s second of the match with a touchline conversion to come. New Zealand come down the right and Ford cannot stop Telea from powering over with a great finish. Ford will be disappointed though that he did not do a better job there, despite Telea’s strength. McKenzie lands a brilliant conversion and New Zealand have the lead with three minutes remaining.
04:59 PM GMT
74 mins: England 22 New Zealand 17
New Zealand are into the England 22 and getting closer to the England line. They have so many numbers out wide but Ioane opts not to pass, which was the obvious option. New Zealand are then awarded a penalty and they go for a quick tap.
04:57 PM GMT
72 mins: England 22 New Zealand 17
England are under the pump and concede a second scrum penalty in quick succession, this time on halfway. New Zealand kick towards the England 22.
04:54 PM GMT
69 mins: England 22 New Zealand 17
England have won a few scrum penalties today but this time they are penalised at the scrum.
04:51 PM GMT
PENALTY! New Zealand reduce England’s lead
The penalty is landed and now just five points separate the sides with just over ten minutes to go.
Have England gone too early to close the game out? It feels like that way with the decision to take Marcus Smith off in the 63rd minute and bring on George Ford. Ford has huge experience but is lacking game time because of a quad injury, while Smith was on fire. England were guilty of stopping playing twice in the final quarters of their two defeats by the All Blacks on the summer tour of New Zealand. They cannot afford to sit back now with what would be a famous victory beckoning.
A no-arms tackle by Ben Earl has opened the door for New Zealand when England should be slamming it shut.
04:49 PM GMT
66 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
England thought they had a penalty of their own but instead Earl is penalised for a no-arms tackle inside the England half. New Zealand are going for goal.
04:47 PM GMT
65 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
Dombrandt replaces Cunningham-South in the back-row.
04:46 PM GMT
64 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
New Zealand make progress into the England 22 but knock on at a crucial moment to let England off the hook.
Change for New Zealand as Lienert-Brown replaces J Barrett in the centres.
04:44 PM GMT
63 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
Ford is on at fly-half, replacing Smith.
04:43 PM GMT
62 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
Instant impact from Ben Curry. He has only just come on but wins a crucial penalty at the breakdown on the edge of England’s 22.
04:41 PM GMT
60 mins: England 22 New Zealand 14
England have made a double change as Ben Curry replaces his twin Tom and Randall replaces Spencer at scrum-half.
04:40 PM GMT
PENALTY! Smith extends lead
Three points added for England and it is now a two-score game. England lead by eight points.
04:39 PM GMT
59 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
The decision is reviewed and the try is chalked off for a clear deliberate knock-on by Clarke, who is lucky not to be sent to the bin. Initially live it had been given as just a knock-on but correctly it has been upraded to a deliberate one.
England are going for the posts to make it a two-score game.
04:37 PM GMT
58 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
B Barrett is over for a try but England are furious that they were not given a penalty for a deliberate knock-on in the build-up before New Zealand raced down the field.
04:36 PM GMT
57 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
England win a free-kick from a scrum just outside the New Zealand 22. The rules state now you cannot go for the scrum in that instance so England opt for the up-and-under. Smith sends it high and New Zealand make a mess of claiming it. It looks like Slade could have a chance of taking it but Freeman does. He is held up over the line and New Zealand can escape.
04:33 PM GMT
55 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
Itoje wins the line-out and England set the maul, but New Zealand do well to disrupt it and the ball cannot come out so the visitors get the scrum. England were unhappy with that call, suggesting New Zealand players had come in through the side.
04:32 PM GMT
54 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
A really clever kick from Smith just inside his own half dribbles into touch just inside the New Zealand 22, meaning England have the line-out as it was a 50-22. Tuipulotu though gets up really well to disrupt it but knocks on and it rolls into touch so England will have the line-out again, just a few metres away.
04:30 PM GMT
52 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
Triple change for England, all in the front-row. Dan, Baxter and Cole replace George, Genge and Stuart.
04:27 PM GMT
50 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
New Zealand are awarded a penalty for holding on but England are furious that they were not given a penalty for a high tackle. Referee Angus Garnder felt like the ball carrier was falling and says over the ref mic that “not every head contact is a penalty’”.
04:25 PM GMT
48 mins: England 19 New Zealand 14
B Barrett makes a big error, getting way too much on the kick and it rolls all the way dead for an England scrum inside New Zealand’s half.
04:23 PM GMT
TRY! England score a cracker
What a fantastic try and the origins are from England’s defence. New Zealand make good progress into the England 22 but Smith intercepts a pass from Ratima. He knows he does not have enough gas to make it all the way and so offloads after a great dummy to Furbank. The Northampton full-back then pops it off to Feyi-Waboso and he goes over for the try. Smith lands the easy conversion to give England a 19-14 lead.
Stunning, simply stunning. At the end of last year’s Six Nations, Steve Borthwick made the decision that it was time to back Marcus Smith, to give him a run of games in the England No 10 shirt to give the best chance of imposing his attacking game on the side. The stats showed that to force the way back into the world’s top four, consistency in selection at fly-half was key. And how the Harlequins man has repaid that faith. His interception on the 22-line and coolness under the pressure of three covering defenders, to delay his pass with a show-and-go to force Rieko Ioane to commit to his tackle before off-loading to George Furbank in the build-up to Immanuel Feyi-Waboso’s try was Smith at his very best. England have found their man.
04:18 PM GMT
42 mins: England 12 New Zealand 14
A very early change in this second half, within 90 seconds of the restart as Tuipulotu replaces Vaai in the second row.
04:16 PM GMT
Second half
During half-time, England’s 2003 World Cup winners have been walking around the pitch celebrating winning the Webb Ellis trophy 21 years ago!
We are back under way at Allianz Stadium. Can England turn it around or will New Zealand take victory?
04:14 PM GMT
HT verdict
But for a mis-hit dropped goal attempt by Marcus Smith with the final play, England remarkably would have gone into half-time with the lead. Yet given New Zealand’s attacking threat, a two-point deficit still feels like an above-par return for England. There is plenty of grunt and willing from England, but their decision to use what ball they have managed to secure in the New Zealand as flat as possible has yet to yield more than a number of kickable penalties for Smith. Eight penalty concessions by New Zealand have kept England in the game. Yet Steve Borthwick’s side have yet to properly challenge the New Zealand line, indicated by Smith twice opting for a drop-goal attempts.
In contrast, New Zealand look dangerous when they are able to manipulate England’s blitz defence. Two tries could easily have been four. England have managed to land some big hits, but even with a slightly less aggressive linespeed, New Zealand have been able to find too many holes. England need to build scoreboard pressure in the second half, and to do so will need a better execution of their contestable kicking game and a big impact from their second forwards on the bench. For now, though the contest is still somehow on a knife-edge, and Borthwick will take that.
04:10 PM GMT
Your views
What are your opinions on that first half? For England fans, what changes would like to see early in this first half if any? For New Zealand fans, will you feel that you should be further ahead at the break? Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
04:01 PM GMT
Half-time
Smith attempts a drop kick from just outside the New Zealand 22 but makes a mess of it. Some in the home crowd not too pleased to see him do that. New Zealand lead 14-12 at the break at Allianz Stadium.
03:59 PM GMT
39 mins: England 12 New Zealand 14
England are awarded a penalty as Vaai is punished for coming into the driving maul from the side. With the clock going into the red England kick towards the New Zealand 22. Last play of the half.
03:55 PM GMT
38 mins: England 12 New Zealand 14
New Zealand break from their own half from Sititi, who has been mightily impressive in this first half. Sititi shows a great burst of speed to power through the middle of the pitch and he tries a pass to his left. That looked like it may have gone forward anyway but Vaai cannot hold onto the pass.
England are hanging on a bit here. New Zealand’s second try was all too simple, with Beauden Barrett’s exquisite sweeping run exposing Ellis Genge with a gift-wrapped inside pass to Will Jordan, who extended his remarkable try-scoring record. Yet significantly, while England’s blitz defence appears to be a little more passive than what we saw on the summer tour, a series of massive hits have rattled their opponents. And with the scrum dominant, four penalties by Smith are keeping them in the game, but they have yet to threaten the New Zealand line.
03:53 PM GMT
PENALTY! Smith adds another three
It goe straight through and Smith has all 12 of England’s points. New Zealand now have just a 2-point lead with a few minutes remaining in this first half.
03:52 PM GMT
35 mins: England 9 New Zealand 14
A second scrum penalty of this first half for England and, after a short discussion over what to do, England point to the posts.
03:51 PM GMT
34 mins: England 9 New Zealand 14
Cunningham-South makes a big hit on Vaai, which forces a knock-on. That gets the crowd going and the noise levels goes up a few notches. Cunningham-South gestures to the crowd to increase the noise level further.
03:48 PM GMT
PENALTY! Third from Smith
Another three points for England and New Zealand’s advantage is cut to five points.
03:47 PM GMT
30 mins: England 6 New Zealand 14
The TMO has stepped in and Cane is punished for that off-the-ball hit on Cunningham-South. That is the third one penalised and referee Angus Gardner has warned New Zealand captain Scott Barrett that the next hit off the ball will result in a yellow card. England go for the posts…
03:45 PM GMT
29 mins: England 6 New Zealand 14
England are unhappy with a few hits off the ball that have not been given. Another one seemingly there from Cane on Cunningham-South.
03:43 PM GMT
TRY! New Zealand extend lead
A really neat move to extend the visitors’ lead. B Barrett sweeps round late down the blindside and Ratima finds him from the base of the ruck. B Barrett then offloads neatly inside to Jordan, who goes in untouched. Genge was the man targeted by the New Zealand attack near the fringes of the ruck and they exploited him. The conversion is fairly simple and New Zealand lead 14-6.
03:40 PM GMT
25 mins: England 6 New Zealand 7
England want a penalty inside the New Zealand 22 as the visitors break through B Barrett for blocking but surprisingly nothing given. The away side then break all the way down towards the England 22 but the hosts have a penalty as New Zealand go off their feet.
03:37 PM GMT
21 mins: England 6 New Zealand 7
Itoje makes a break from a ruck inside England’s half. He offloads off the ground to Spencer and it looked like it may have been forward. It is not given and, after one successful chip forward, Spencer goes into touch attempting a second kick forward.
03:35 PM GMT
20 mins: England 6 New Zealand 7
England are under significant pressure inside their own 22 after a kick through but Ratima is penalised for going off his feet at the ruck. Big let-off for England.
03:32 PM GMT
18 mins: England 6 New Zealand 7
England win the first scrum penalty of the match as Stuart gets the better of Williams. Unfortunately England miss touch with the kick which is a rookie error.
03:31 PM GMT
17 mins: England 6 New Zealand 7
The first flare-up of the game comes after an Ioane knock-on near the England 22. Lawrence did well in defence to disrupt the attempted offload by Ioane to force the knock-on. Ioane is heading off in a blood replacement.
03:25 PM GMT
PENALTY! Smith reduces New Zealand’s lead to one
He lands his second penalty in the first quarter of an hour of this game and England now trail by just one point.
03:24 PM GMT
11 mins: England 3 New Zealand 7
Ratima makes a mistake, kicking out on the full and England have a line-out near the New Zealand 22.
Smith attempts a cheeky drop goal but to say he did not get it right is an understatement. England have a penalty though for a tackle off the ball, like the first penalty they received earlier. Smith will go for another three points…
03:21 PM GMT
TRY! Telea gives away side lead
What an offload from Sititi to set up the opening try of the match. Near the right-hand touchline Sititi gets an offload out of the back of hand and finds Telea, who cannot be stopped by Genge and gets over in the corner. The conversion is successful from out wide and New Zealand lead 7-3.
During a conversation with former All Blacks captain Sean Fitzpatrick earlier in the week, he was singing the praises of Wallace Sititi and he a gave us a glimpse of his huge potential by creating the opportunity for Mark Tele’a to score the opening try. The 22 year-old Chiefs flanker is a huge man, but showed his footballing class by delivering an exquisite off-load out the back of the tackle. It was the culmination of pressure built by New Zealand’s option to challenge England’s blitz defence by attacking hard from close to the ruck.
03:19 PM GMT
7 mins: England 3 New Zealand 0
England are caught offside so New Zealand will have a penalty just inside the New Zealand half. Feyi-Waboso the guilty party.
Aumua has come on for New Zealand at hooker as Taylor is off for an HIA.
03:17 PM GMT
PENALTY! Smith gives England the lead
The Harlequins fly-half makes no mistake with a simple attempt and England take the lead after just five minutes.
03:15 PM GMT
4 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0
England have a penalty advantage on the edge of the New Zealand 22 for a tackle off the ball by J Barrett. England cannot utilise it so we go back for the penalty. A simple penalty kick so England point to the posts.
03:14 PM GMT
2 mins: England 0 New Zealand 0
New Zealand deploy their first crossfield kick of the match but again does not yield much of a reward. Plenty of enterprise already from both sides.
03:13 PM GMT
1 min: England 0 New Zealand 0
I do not think we would have seen that under Eddie Jones. An example in the first 20 seconds of how England have adapted their attack. Smith goes for a crossfield kick inside his on 22 and picks out Feyi-Waboso, but the Exeter winger is quickly driven into touch.
03:11 PM GMT
Kick-off
We are under way at Allianz Stadium. Will it be England or New Zealand celebrating in a couple of hours?
03:09 PM GMT
Time for the haka
England, arm-in-arm, have moved towards the halfway line, further forward that they are supposed to be. The crowd responds with a rendition of ‘Swing Low, Sweet Chariot’.
Midway through England come further forward to the halfway line, much further forward than the permitted 10-metre line.
New Zealand then approach England and there is merely just a few metres between the sides at the end of the haka.
It was not quite Willie Anderson’s confrontation of the haka for Ireland in 1989, but this one was one of England’s most direct, front-foot responses since Richard Cockerill’s head-to-head with Norm Hewitt in 1997. A five-metre surge to the half-way line prompted a huge cheer from the Twickenham crowd. The atmosphere is electric and has been matched by England’s aggressive start.
03:02 PM GMT
Anthem time
Both sides emerge from the tunnel at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham and it is time for the national anthems. Jamie George leads out England, Scott Barrett New Zealand. I have to admit I am a fan of the New Zealand anthem. ‘God Defend New Zealand’ followed by ‘God Save The King’.
Soon we will get the haka, which has been at the centre of the build-up this week. What will England do in response?
02:56 PM GMT
The thoughts of Steve Borthwick
02:56 PM GMT
Borthwick speaking to a pair of Currys
We not only have the Barrett brothers in action today but also the Curry twins for England. Tom starts in the seven jersey, Ben is on the bench.
02:53 PM GMT
Reminder of the teams
England starting XV: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; M Smith, Spencer; Genge, George (capt), Stuart; Itoje, Martin; Cunningham-South, T Curry, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford.
New Zealand starting XV: Jordan; Tele’a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; B Barrett, Ratima; Williams, Taylor, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa’i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.
Replacements: Aumua, Tu’ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Lienart-Brown, McKenzie.
02:51 PM GMT
TNT crew on England’s back-row
02:48 PM GMT
Get your fix of rugby
02:42 PM GMT
Look who is here!
He is not in the matchday squad for England today but Joe Marler, who has dominated the build-up to this game, is at the Allianz Stadium today!
Even catching up with Scott Robertson:
02:38 PM GMT
Your views
What are your predictions for today’s match? Remember you can have your say in the comments section at bottom of the blog.
02:34 PM GMT
Slade starts at 13 for England today
02:27 PM GMT
Plenty of home support
02:23 PM GMT
The thoughts of Ellis Genge
02:15 PM GMT
Courtney Lawes on TNT
02:09 PM GMT
New Zealand arrive
02:04 PM GMT
Best sporting family in world right now?
The three Barrett brothers start for New Zealand today. Scott captains from the second row, Beauden has got the nod at 10 and Jordie returns from injury in the centres. Are they the best sporting family in the world right now? Tom Cary has given his view.
01:59 PM GMT
All Blacks captain warns England that Marler has ‘loaded the gun’ with haka jibe
Jamie George has urged England to play without fear at Twickenham as New Zealand captain Scott Barrett warned that Joe Marler’s attack on the haka had “loaded the gun”.
On Tuesday Marler suggested that the haka should be “binned” and claimed it was “ridiculous”, before deactivating his account on X, formerly Twitter – only to return and then issue an apology on Thursday.
Charlie Morgan and Ben Coles have you covered with the latest from both camps ahead of today’s tussle.
01:55 PM GMT
Home side arrive
01:52 PM GMT
England v All Blacks: Where match will be won or lost
Who will come out on top at Allianz Stadium? Our experts have given their predictions. Here is a snippet for our Senior Rugby Writer Charlie Morgan:
England 31 New Zealand 28
Dry conditions are forecast, so we should have a fast-paced and action-packed rendezvous between these teams. I believe England will miss Ollie Chessum and am surprised that they overlooked Sam Underhill, but six forwards to supplement George Ford on their bench should allow them to finish strongly. Engage the crowd and they should edge through to begin the autumn with a win.
Remember you can have your say in the comments section at the bottom of the blog.
01:45 PM GMT
Marler apologises
Joe Marler has apologised to New Zealand supporters for his “s—house” comments to stir up drama when suggesting the haka should be binned and was “ridiculous”.
Marler left England’s camp on Monday for personal reasons and it is currently unclear whether he will return during the autumn campaign. After the England captain Jamie George and New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson weighed in on Marler’s comments earlier on Thursday, following a backlash in New Zealand, Marler posted a lengthy apology to his social media account on X which included an image of England’s ‘V’ formation facing the haka before the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final.
Charles Richardson and Ben Coles have the full story that has dominated the build-up to this match.
01:39 PM GMT
England Men’s enhanced EPS contracts
The RFU have recently announced 17 players who have been awarded enhanced EPS contracts. Here are the those 17 names:
Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers)
Tom Curry (Sale Sharks)
Theo Dan (Saracens)
Ben Earl (Saracens)
Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs)
George Ford (Sale Sharks)
Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints)
George Furbank (Northampton Saints)
Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears)
Jamie George (Saracens)
Maro Itoje (Saracens)
Ollie Lawrence (Bath Rugby)
George Martin (Leicester Tigers)
Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints)
Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs)
Fin Smith (Northampton Saints)
Marcus Smith (Harlequins)
“I am delighted to be in a position to name the 17 players who are first to receive the enhanced EPS contracts.” said head coach Steve Borthwick. “I am confident that these contracts, and our strong relationship with the Premiership clubs, will play a significant role in England Rugby’s continued development.”
01:37 PM GMT
England’s Autumn Schedule
Today: England vs New Zealand
Saturday 9th November: England vs Australia
Saturday 16th November: England vs South Africa
Sunday 24th November: England vs Japan
01:30 PM GMT
Team news
Steve Borthwick makes four changes from the side that lost in the second Test against New Zealand back in July, with George Furbank, Ben Spencer, Ellis Genge and Tom Curry the four players to come in. Henry Slade starts at outside centre despite only playing 54 minutes so far this season for the Exeter Chiefs, which came in their defeat to Harlequins in the Gallagher Premiership last weekend. With Alex Mitchell out injured, Bath scrum-half Spencer is given the starting nine jersey for the first time in his England career. Curry makes his first start for England since the hip surgery he underwent after last year’s World Cup. Curry made three appearances off the bench for England over the summer having made his return from that long-term hip injury in Sale’s Premiership semi-final at Bath back in June.
Sale fly-half George Ford returns from a quad injury suffered in round two of the Premiership to take a place on the bench. England have gone with a six-two bench split in favour of the forwards, with Bristol scrum-half Harry Randall and Ford the backs on the bench.
England starting XV: Furbank; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; M Smith, Spencer; Genge, George (capt), Stuart; Itoje, Martin; Cunningham-South, T Curry, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Baxter, Cole, Isiekwe, B Curry, Dombrandt, Randall, Ford.
New Zealand head coach Scott Robertson makes plenty of changes from their dominant win over Japan last weekend. Beauden Barrett has been given the nod ahead of Damian McKenzie, despite the latter being given the nod at 10 for the majority of the Rugby Championship. Beauden’s brother Jordie is back from injury to start at inside centre. The third Barrett brother, Scott, captains the side.
New Zealand starting XV: Jordan; Tele’a, Ioane, J Barrett, Clarke; B Barrett, Ratima; Williams, Taylor, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Vaa’i, Sititi, Cane, Savea.
Replacements: Aumua, Tu’ungafasi, Tosi, Tuipulotu, Finau, Roigard, Lienart-Brown, McKenzie.
01:18 PM GMT
Match preview
England’s Autumn Nations Series campaign begins with a highly-anticipated tussle at Allianz Stadium in Twickenham as they host New Zealand. This is England’s first game since losing 2-0 in New Zealand over the summer, whereas Scott Robertson’s side have been in Rugby Championship action. England head coach Steve Borthwick cannot wait for this afternoon’s match-up.
“We are excited for the challenge of playing against one of the best teams in world rugby,” said Borthwick. “We will need to be accurate, keep our discipline, and maintain a level of intensity throughout the match, from the first whistle to the final moment. With just two games at Allianz Stadium in our last 15, it is fantastic to be returning to play in front of our home crowd again.”
Those two defeats in New Zealand were by a combined total of just eight points. Since those meetings, New Zealand finished second in the 2024 Rugby Championship, winning just three of their six games and finishing just ahead of Argentina. They then warmed up for this game with a 64-19 victory over Eddie Jones’ Japan in Yokohama last weekend. New Zealand narrowly beat England twice over the summer but Scott Robertson is expecting both sides to look different this afternoon.
“While we have met England twice this year already, four months is a long time in rugby and we know that both teams are different to the ones that met in New Zealand in July.”
The build-up to this huge tussle has been dominated by comments made by England loosehead prop Joe Marler about the famous haka. He posted on X that he believed that “The haka needs binning, it’s ridiculous.” He then deactivated his account before reactivating it. He then posted “Context is everything. Just having a bit of fun trying to spark interest in a mega rugby fixture. Some wild responses. Big Love x.” Marler, who is not involved for England today and had already left camp before posting his comments about the haka, has since apologised for stirring up drama.
Borthwick will not able to call upon Leicester’s Ollie Chessum throughout this autumn’s rugby after the lock was ruled out with a knee injury picked up during England’s training camp in Girona last week.
The last time these sides met at Twickenham resulted in a dramatic 25-25 draw in 2022. England’s last win against New Zealand in Twickenham was a 38-21 victory in 2012 but they were victorious in the semi-finals of the 2019 World Cup in one of England’s finest performances.
Strap yourselves in for what should be great game in store at the relatively newly named Allianz Stadium in Twickenham.
