New Zealand v England LIVE rugby: Result and reaction as All Blacks secure narrow win in brutal first Test

Ollie Sleightholme, meanwhile, could have done little more to force his way into Borthwick’s squad. The son of 12-cap wing Jon, the 24-year-old topped the try scoring charts in the Premiership this season, showcasing real finishing nous to go along with his natural speed and ability to breach contact. His defensive ability also merits mention, both for his work shutting down the edge and as a breakdown scavenger.

“Clearly his point of difference is to beat defenders and find the try line,” Borthwick explained. “The top try-scorer in the Premiership, he has incredible pace and we want that in this England team. The other thing is he’s a very effective defender.

“You can see how important this defensive system has been to us, over just five games in the Six Nations. And we see him fitting into that system very, very well.”

It may have been that Fin Baxter travelled on tour had Ellis Genge been fit, but the Bristol loosehead’s calf issue has opened the door for the 22-year-old to earn a first cap today. The prop protégé of Joe Marler at Harlequins, Baxter also counts Alex Corbisiero as an influence having come through the same Cobham club as another of England’s most destructive looseheads.

His scrummaging work has come on quickly working with Marler and scrum coach Adam Jones at Quins, with Baxter taking it to the giant Ben Tameifuna in his side’s Champions Cup win over Bordeaux-Begles. He also prides himself on the softer skills as a distributor at the line.

“I’m really proud of the year I’ve had,” Baxter said recently. “I’m loving being in this environment and getting myself up to Test level.”

Marcus Smith’s moment of truth

If ever there was a moment for Marcus Smith to prove he is England’s principal fly-half it comes in Dunedin.

Smith was electric in the tour opener in Tokyo a fortnight earlier, but the space provided by Japan’s defence was a gift to a player with his attacking repertoire.

New Zealand will be far less accommodating, but if Smith’s decision-making and game management match his creativity with the ball in hand, the jersey will be his for the foreseeable future.

Chinks in armour

The All Blacks are heavy favourites to triumph at Forsyth Barr Stadium, yet they have rarely appeared so vulnerable.

Their first outing of the year takes place under a new head coach and captain in Scott Robertson and Scott Barrett respectively, while influential stalwarts such as Richie Mo’unga, Brodie Retallick and Aaron Smith have either retired or are on sabbaticals in Japan.

Factor in player unrest with administrators and the Crusaders fading as the dominant force in Super Rugby and it seems to be a good time to be facing the World Cup runners-up.

The ultimate challenge

England wins against New Zealand on Kiwi soil are precious and have been managed only twice before – in 1973 and 2003.

Since Martin Johnson’s team prevailed against the odds over two decades ago, England have played seven more times in the All Blacks’ back yard and got close only once, a 20-15 defeat in Auckland in 2014.

South Africa are world champions, but outside the global showpiece winning a Test series in New Zealand is the sport’s ultimate challenge.

It is a little over 60 years now since England embarked on their first Antipodean adventure, a squad led by Mike Weston following previous French, Scottish and Irish tours to make a belated arrival in the Southern Hemisphere in 1963. A gruelling schedule had been organised by the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in New Zealand and Australia. England returned after little more than a fortnight battered, bruised and beaten in five of their six matches.

England have seldom found Aotearoa to their liking on their returns to the Shaky Isles since. Their infrequent visits to New Zealand have been cloaked in a long white cloud of English defeats and off-field bother. It is 20 years since the All Blacks were last beaten by England on home soil, and it was a 30-year winning run for the hosts before that. That the teams contest a prize named after Sir Edmund Hillary feels appropriate.

“It doesn’t get more challenging than playing New Zealand at home, but it’s exactly where we want to be,” England head coach Steve Borthwick said ahead of the first of a two-Test series that begins in Dunedin on Saturday.

“We want to find out more about ourselves and test ourselves against one of the best teams in the world. Test rugby is a game of fine margins, so our mindset is going to be very important on Saturday. We’ll need to be mentally strong, play a tactically smart game and ensure we maintain our discipline.”

Read Harry Latham-Coyle’s full preview of a fascinating series:

Marcus Smith is ready for England’s growing confidence in attack to meet its toughest examination yet when they face New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday.

Steve Borthwick’s side opened the tour by running in eight tries against Japan a fortnight ago, with the 52-17 victory continuing the theme born in the Guinness Six Nations of greater intent being shown with the ball in hand.

Even though World Cup finalists New Zealand are being remodelled by new head coach Scott Robertson, they will still provide a gauge of just how far England’s attack has come.

Harlequins fly-half Smith will pull the strings at Forsyth Barr Stadium believing he will be directing a team that is improving in multiple areas.​

Props Joe Marler and Will Stuart swap into the England side in the only changes to the starting line-up that beat Japan.

Marcus Smith retains the reins at fly half while two uncapped players await debuts from the bench in Harlequins loosehead Fin Baxter and Northampton wing Ollie Sleightholme.

England XV: 1 Joe Marler, 2 Jamie George (capt.), 3 Will Stuart; 4 Maro Itoje, 5 George Martin; 6 Chandler Cunningham-South, 7 Sam Underhill, 8 Ben Earl; 9 Alex Mitchell, 10 Marcus Smith; 11 Tommy Freeman, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 13 Henry Slade, 14 Immanuel Feyi-Waboso; 15 George Furbank.

Replacements: 16 Theo Dan, 17 Fin Baxter, 18 Dan Cole, 19 Alex Coles, 20 Tom Curry; 21 Ben Spencer, 22 Fin Smith, Ollie Sleightholme.

New All Blacks captain Scott Barrett leads a strong and experienced New Zealand side, but elder brother Beauden is left on the bench as Stephen Perofeta is preferred at full-back.

Veteran scrum half TJ Perenara returns having missed the World Cup due to injury, while one-cap flanker Samipeni Finau is a newer face.

New Zealand XV: 1 Ethan de Groot, 2 Codie Taylor, 3 Tyrel Lomax; 4 Scott Barrett (capt.), 5 Patrick Tuipulotu; 6 Samipeni Finau, 7 Dalton Papali’i, 8 Ardie Savea; 9 TJ Perenara, 10 Damian McKenzie; 11 Mark Tele’a, 12 Jordie Barrett, 13 Rieko Ioane, 14 Sevu Reece; 15 Stephen Perofeta

Replacements: 16 Asafo Aumua, 17 Ofa Tu’ungafasi, 18 Fletcher Newell, 19 Tupou Vaa’i, 20 Luke Jacobson; 21 Finlay Christie, 22 Anton Lienert-Brown, 23 Beauden Barrett

The first Test is due to kick off at 8.05am BST on Saturday 6 July at Forsyth Barr Stadium in Dunedin.

Viewers in the United Kingdom can watch the match live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action, with coverage on the channels from 7.30am BST. Subscribers can stream via Sky Go.

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