New Zealand VS England Location: Eden Park
New Zealand VS England Date: Saturday, July 13
BetXchange New Zealand vs England Odds:
History
Did England miss their chance to beat New Zealand on home soil when they fell by a single point in Dunedin last weekend?
The second Test venue is Auckland, where the All Blacks will be hosting England at fortress Eden Park. This venue is untouchable for New Zealand, and the hosts are looking to hold serve for their 49th international fixture in a row inside the stadium.
The All Blacks have won 46 and drawn two at Eden Park in a 30-year streak of results. Their last defeat at the stadium was a 23-20 reversal against France in 1994, meaning that in the professional era, they have never lost on Eden Park’s grass.
Taking things even further back, the All Blacks have a winning record of almost 90% at Eden Park, losing just 10 matches ever since 1921. This includes four victories over England at Eden Park, so the tourists will have the weight of history working against them come Saturday.
England should have beaten the All Blacks last weekend. Their 16-15 defeat came on a day where Marcus Smith was misfiring with the boot, with the star fly-half missing three kicks for the posts. If any of those had gone over, England would be coming into this with a 1-0 series lead and a chance to beat the All Blacks on their own turf.
The game was a frustrating watch for English fans. Steve Borthwick coached in the same style he did with Leicester, kicking possession away early and often to play the territory game and force the opposition into mistakes. This feels like the right strategy with a Goegore Ford or Owen Farrell controlling the game from 10, but in Smith, England has a unique playmaker who is at his best when not under the constraints of such a methodical game plan.
When England let loose, they looked to have the beating of their opponents. It will be interesting to see if Borthwick’s plans for the second Test have changed or if he will keep up the pressure game, expecting more accuracy from his charges in key match situations.
New Zealand
Damian McKenzie was the best player on the park for the All Blacks last week, even with his penalty shot clock violation. He starts again at fly-half, though he will be paired with Finlay Christie at No. 9 with TJ Perenara out through injury. That is the only change for the All Blacks, with Stephen Perofeta preferred to Beauden Barrett at fullback and Cortez Ratima coming onto the bench as scrum-half cover.
England
England will also make one enforced change. Prop Joe Marler has a foot injury, so Finn Baxter gets a start in the front row. Smith and scrum-half Alex Mitchell are flair played to be reckoned with, while Immanuel Feyi-Waboso scored another try for his country last week to continue his sparkling start as a Test match player.
Best Bets
That 10.5 handicap feels massive. England was every bit the match for the All Blacks one week ago, other than in the scrum. The loss of Marler is a major blow for the park, but it doesn’t feel like the combination of a venue change and Marler out is worth nine points. Take England to cover as they stay within a converted try.
