New Zealand v England LIVE rugby: Build-up and updates as Steve Borthwick’s side face the All Blacks in summer Test in Dunedin

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.

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.

If you’re not a Sky customer, you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.

Steve Borthwick’s men warmed up for the trip with a confidence-boosting thrashing of Japan, and have had plenty of preparation time since travelling south.

The All Blacks begin a new era under head coach Scott Robertson as they return to action for the first time since the World Cup final defeat to South Africa.

It is ten years since these two met on New Zealand soil, making this a series to savour.

Here’s everything you need to know:

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of New Zealand v England from Dunedin. Can the All Blacks get the Scott Robertson era off to a flyer or will England continue their 2024 renaissance with a historic victory?

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