England vs. New Zealand Location: Allianz Stadium, London
England vs. New Zealand Date: Saturday, Sep 28
BetXchange England vs. New Zealand Odds:
History
The End-of-Year Internationals (or Autumn Internationals to those in the Northern Hemisphere) are always an important part of rugby’s international calendar. The Southern Hemisphere countries are relatively fresh from the Rugby Championship, while the Six Nations countries are gearing up for that tournament at the start of the new year.
The biggest clash on the first weekend of the month-long international clashes sees England host New Zealand at Allianz Stadium in London.
This game has plenty on the line, with England not beating New Zealand on their patch since 2012. That was a record 38-21 win for England over the All Blacks, but it has been 12 years since that match. Steve Borthwick needs a win here, with England sometimes flattering to deceive during his leadership so far.
England’s record against New Zealand isn’t stellar. The All Blacks have won 35 of the 45 Tests between the two counties, with England claiming eight victories and two matches being drawn. Five of those wins for England, and both draws, have been at home, with New Zealand winning 19 times on English soil.
Also, it is worth noting that Allianz Stadium, the venue for this match, is the legendary Twickenham under new branding. This is a little confusing, given that Sarecens’ home venue used to be named Allianz Park.
England
It has been a long time coming, but Ben Spencer will finally make his first England start this weekend. The 32-year-old had the misfortune of his peak years overlapping with the careers of England 100 cap stalwarts Danny Care and Ben Youngs, but it is finally Spencer’s time to shine.
The England back row is interesting, with Tom Curry alongside Ben Earl and the fast-rising Chandler Cunningham-South. Ben Curry is one of six forward replacements on the English bench.
New Zealand
All three Barrett brothers are in the starting XV for New Zealand on Sunday. Beauden Barrett has been named a fly-half ahead of Damian McKenzie, a change of tactics after McKenzie started five of the six games in the Rugby Championship. The position has been up for grabs, with Richie Mo’unga currently on sabbatical leave in Japan.
The change might be because Barrett is a surer bet in mixed Northern Hemisphere conditions than McKenzie, who plays as a more off-the-cuff stand-off.
New Zealand’s problem position remains scrum-half. Cortez Ratima starts at No. 9, with Cam Roigard coming off the bench. This position has had zero consistency since Aaron Smith retired after the 2023 World Cup final.
Best Bets
The last time these two played at Twickenham, the match was a pulsating 25-25 draw. New Zealand beat England in 2018, 2014, and 2013, with those wins coming by one point, three points, and eight points, respectively. Does this mean England is due to win here as 4.5-point home underdogs?
England hasn’t played since July, which is a problem when facing a New Zealand side that has been playing regularly over the last few months. I like the All bLacks to win, with a victory margin of 11-20 points at 7/2 with BetXchange.
