New Zealand vs England 1st Test Predictions - England can challenge All Blacks

Marc Thomas

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Last updated: 03 Jul 2024

Marc Thomas 03 Jul 2024

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New Zealand have won 6 of their last 8 matches against England.
England has shown signs of improvement and better performance in the 2024 Six Nations.
Key player updates: Marcus Smith starts at flyhalf for England

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New Zealand vs England rugby 2022 twickenham

Tight contest expected in Dunedin (Getty Images)

New Zealand vs England Preview

New Zealand are clear favourites but England have shown signs of improvement this year. This series, in my view, could be closer than many expect. England are backed in the handicap market.

New Zealand vs England Preview
Head to Head
New Zealand Form
New Zealand Injuries & Team News
England Form
England Injuries & Team News

New Zealand have won 6 of their last 8 matches against England.
New Zealand have won 13 of their last 15 home matches against England.
England have won 2 of their last 3 matches.
England beat Ireland and narrowly lost to France in the 2024 Six Nations.
England have not lost in their last 2 matches against New Zealand.

Head to Head

New Zealand have dominated this fixture in the past with 33 wins in 43 games. There have been two draws and eight England victories.

You can view the full breakdown of the history of this fixture on our side.

New Zealand Form

New Zealand has been the dominant power in world rugby since it went professional in the early to mid-90s. This fixture they have also historically dominated, particularly on home soil.

That said, the Black Caps are in a slight transition phase with new coaching staff after their Rugby World Cup final defeat to South Africa last year. They have not played an international match since.

Scott Robertson has been very successful at Super Rugby level and knows the players well. This shouldn’t be a shock to the players’ systems, and they also still have plenty of experienced players.

New Zealand Injuries & Team News

New Zealand are expected to have a few new faces in their side when the team is announced.

England Form

England rugby seems to be on the up after a tough few years. At the Rugby World Cup in 2023, they surprised many by reaching the semi-final, and many would argue they should have beaten the Springboks there as well.

While their gameplan was limited, it was very effective as a short-term solution. They advanced that during the 2024 Six Nations where they didn’t do ultra well but did beat Ireland on home soil and took France to within a few points in Paris.

This is the ultimate test to see how far they have come. New Zealand is a notoriously tough place to tour, and should England manage a few big performances, or even a tour win/draw, they will go home with their head held high.