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England take on New Zealand at Allianz Stadium on Saturday, in their third match of the Quilter Autumn Nations Series.
Steve Borthwick’s side are unbeaten in nine matches but face a New Zealand team fresh off victories over Scotland at Murrayfield, and Ireland in Chicago a week earlier.
The All Blacks have also won nine matches this year but fell to defeats to Argentina and South Africa in The Rugby Championship.
Here’s what ATR thinks England need to do to end their losing sequence against the All Blacks.
Win
That is all that matters. Tick the box that reads, “Victory Over New Zealand.” It doesn’t matter how, it doesn’t matter why, it doesn’t matter what pundits and fans say afterwards, just leave the field victorious.
The All Blacks have won the last five encounters at Allianz Stadium, not forgetting lifting the 2015 World Cup there as well. England haven’t won this fixture since their barnstorming display in 2012. That is too long, and the visitors have won all three of the encounters – two in New Zealand and one at Twickenham – since the last World Cup. That’s too many for a team with England’s ambitions.
New Zealand are past masters at somehow winning from impossible positions, just ask Scotand. They try to win with beautiful rugby, but don’t mind doing so in other ways. England need to do the same. Yes, we would love to see free-flowing rugby end with Immanuel Feyi-Waboso tripping the light fantastic down the wing, but if its someone trickling over a drop goal, it doesn’t matter. Just find a way to answer whatever Scott Robertson’s team produce.
Winners don’t need excuses, and England don’t want to be making any come Saturday evening.
Turning Coles Into A Diamond
Alex Coles has steadily grown in importance in this England squad after earning a place with his performances for Northampton Saints, who he helped to the 2024 Gallagher PREM Rugby title. This weekend he has the chance to show how important he will be as they work towards Rugby World Cup 2027.
With Ollie Chessum out, Coles has been given the second row spot next to captain Maro Itoje, as he continues to pick up the baton left by ex-Saints captain Courtney Lawes. Do what he has done so far with his energy and physicality and not seeing him in future England squads will be surprising.
Like Chessum, Coles can play in the back row, as he did to great acclaim in the Investec Champions Cup final. He has energy to burn, but at six foot, six inches (1.98 metres) and 18 stone (114 kilogram) he is there for his bulk. Another impressive showing will go a long way towards England ending their losing streak against the All Blacks.
Don’t Switch Off
If England needed anymore convincing that they have to remain focused at all times, then Scotland’s defeat last weekend should remove all question of stopping to catch their thoughts. Any time the ball goes dead, or they conceded a penalty they cannot drop their concentration for a moment.
It is for this reason that you suspect Jamie George has pipped Luke Cowan-Dickie to the starting hooker position. Watch him when it’s a lineout, watch him when it’s a penalty, watch him at all times, and there he’ll be barking out orders, ensuring his teammates don’t drop off, and ensuring that the ball carrier is covered.
Last weekend against Fiji, England switched off and, on each occasion, they scored tries. Tevita Ikanivere’s first came after the pack splintered while defending a driving maul, the cover defence was too slow to come across and stop Caleb Muntz from scoring, and Ikanivere’s second came when they left a gap at the front of a lineout.
Damien McKenzie won the match for New Zealand at Murrayfield, and he won’t need a second invitation to do the same south of Hadrian’s Wall.
Beware The Hour Mark
The All Blacks are famous for raising their intensity around the hour mark, it’s what they did in both tests in New Zealand last year, and at Allianz Stadium. Failure to score in the last quarter was one of the defining characteristics of the three matches between the teams last year.
In the first test in Dunedin, England didn’t score after 47 minutes, a week later their final points of the match in Auckland came on 48 minutes. By the time they reached southwest London a few months on they managed to score on the hour mark, but not beyond, and it was most starkly shown when George Ford’s last minute penalty hit the post, rather than fly through for the win.
It is why Borthwick has packed the bench with players who can lift the intensity when they come on. Cowan-Dickie, Will Stuart, and Ellis Genge would be many people’s starting front row, but they are on the bench to ensure there is no let up with their work around the park when they come on between the 50th minute and hour. Likewise, Tom Curry, Henry Pollock and Chandler Cunningham-South are on the bench, when all three would have a case to start.
England’s biggest wins post-World Cup were against Ireland in 2024 and France this year. Both came from scores in the final minute. Fans may love last-minute drama, but Borthwick’s aim will be that his players have scored the winning points earlier in that final 20-minute spell.
