England vs. New Zealand – Preview

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November 2, 2024

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The stage is set for a massive showdown between England and New Zealand at Twickenham this Saturday. This match has all the makings of a classic, with England looking to get one over on the All Blacks and make a statement heading into the remainder of their Autumn campaign. New Zealand, on the other hand, will be eager to reassert their dominance in the Northern Hemisphere having only lost once to Steve Borthwick’s men in their last 10 encounters.

Autumn Nations Cup 2024 | Round 1

Saturday 2^nd November

Kick Off – 3:10pm

Allianz Stadium, Twickenham

England

England’s recent form has been a mixed bag, with only two wins in their last six outings. With a packed out Twickenham expected, England will be eager make the most of their home advantage. The home side may be the underdogs going into this one, but with some key players back from injury, they’ll fancy themselves to have enough firepower to make things difficult for the away side come Saturday afternoon.

Player to Watch

Marcus Smith – TheHarlequins fly half has lit up the English Premiership with some dazzling performances this season and will be hoping to replicate this form in the White of England. If the 25 year old can take control of the game at 10 it will allow the likes of Ollie Lawrence and Henry Slade to get their hands on the ball and get after the New Zealand backline.

New Zealand

The All Blacks come into this fixture with some fine momentum having romped to victory against Japan in a 64-19 victory last weekend. In the likes of Will Jordan and Jordie Barrett, they have game-changers in the backline who can break the game wide open and make life difficult for England. New Zealand will be going in as favourites and if they can find their rhythm early, they’ll be hard to contain.

Player to Watch

Mark Tele’a – At 6 foot 1 and just shy of 15 stone, the Kiwi powerhouse is always a threat out on the New Zealand wing. With 10 tries in 16 tests in the famous black jersey, backing this man to cross the white wash is never a bad bet.

Overview

In true November fashion, we’re expecting fireworks in this one. If England’s defence can hold strong and they capitalise on their scoring opportunities, they could put themselves write in the mix to come away with a win. But who dares to write off the All Blacks… New Zealand’s attacking prowess and ability to convert half-chances into points might be too much for England over the course of what’s sure to be a brutal 80 minutes of test rugby.