England's 'massive opportunity' to shock All Blacks

New Zealand v England first Test

Date: Saturday, 6 July Kick-off: 08:05 BST Venue: Forsyth Barr Stadium, Dunedin

Coverage: Listen to commentary connected BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds and travel unrecorded matter commentary connected BBC Sport website and app.

When England past toured New Zealand 10 years ago, nan All Blacks were connected apical of nan rugby world.

After winning nan World Cup successful 2011, Steve Hansen's broadside were connected an bonzer tally that would culminate successful back-to-back glory successful 2015.

A caller harvest of early All Blacks stars were coming through, while all-time greats for illustration Richie McCaw and Dan Carter were still successful their prime.

Even without nan injured Carter, and contempt beardown English performances successful nan first 2 Tests, nan All Blacks yet secured a 3-0 bid triumph to cement their position arsenic nan ascendant rugby federation connected earth.

The scenery is different successful 2024. South Africa and France person stolen a march - nan Springboks connected nan transportation and nan French disconnected it. The Japanese convention has coaxed immoderate awesome All Blacks into world sabbaticals aliases world retirements. Covid took its toll.

"It's been a fewer reliable years, location is nary uncertainty astir that," said New Zealand Rugby Union leader Mark Robinson.

The Henry-Hansen-Ian Foster lineage - which ran nan All Blacks for 20 years - has been surgery up, pinch nan celebrated erstwhile flanker Scott Robertson, 49, now astatine nan helm aft guiding nan Crusaders to a singular 7 consecutive Super Rugby titles.

"He has spent a immense magnitude of clip processing his craft," said Robinson.

"He's thought really profoundly astir nan domiciled for a agelong time. It feels this is nan clip for him."

But contempt nan excitement astir nan Robertson era, nan New Zealand rugby nationalist - often truthful bullish - is simply a small nervous.

The All Blacks haven't played a crippled since losing nan World Cup last past October, while a big of cardinal players including locks Sam Whitelock and Brodie Retallick, scrum-half Aaron Smith and fly-half Richie Mo'unga are nary longer available.

With Sam Cane stepping down arsenic captain, 2nd statement Scott Barrett will lead nan squad for nan first time, while Damian McKenzie starts astatine fly-half.

"There is uncertainty astir really this squad is going to travel together," explained Liam Napier of nan New Zealand Herald.

"I look astatine this New Zealand squad and location are truthful galore unknowns," agreed erstwhile England scrum-half Danny Care.

"They don't person nan players anymore that you fear. They person players you massively respect, but arsenic a team, do you spell location virtually pinch fear? I don’t deliberation New Zealand has that astatine nan moment.

"This is simply a monolithic opportunity for England to spell down location and daze nan New Zealand world."

Among nan section media, England's crisp performances astatine nan backmost extremity of nan Six Nations and nan polished show successful nan triumph against Japan successful Tokyo person not gone unnoticed. Nor has nan continuity successful Steve Borthwick's action aliases nan tweak successful playing style since past autumn's World Cup.

"It’s not accepted England - they person evolved," said Napier. "Maybe England person a chance to astonishment nan All Blacks pinch their style.

"There is cohesion location and they person named mostly nan aforesaid team. But really is this All Blacks squad going to travel together? No-one is rather sure."

While Borthwick has had his full squad successful campy for almost 4 weeks, Robertson has had his together for conscionable 10 days. Leaders for illustration Ardie Savea and Beauden Barrett missed nan Super Rugby play while playing successful Japan.

"I’m nervous," World Player of nan Year Savea admitted connected Thursday. "But nerves bring nan champion retired of us. And it's a awesome situation for myself to measurement guardant and effort and ain it."

"You dream England tin possibly drawback New Zealand a small spot connected nan hop," said Care.

"There are a batch of things that put nan All Blacks successful a different abstraction to wherever they person been successful years gone by," added erstwhile England helping Chris Ashton.

Despite each this, England supporters will beryllium cautious successful their optimism.

The All Blacks still boast immoderate world-class players, whether successful nan shape of nan magnificent Savea aliases nan talented Jordie Barrett [the 3rd of nan brothers successful nan matchday squad]. TJ Perenara is backmost astatine scrum-half aft a two-year absence. Robertson tin moreover spend to time off nan awesome Beauden Barrett retired of his starting XV.

England’s inexperienced broadside - nan immense mostly of whom person ne'er played successful New Zealand - will beryllium tested some mentally and physically. It is nan All Blacks successful New Zealand and it remains - according to Borthwick - nan biggest situation successful world rugby.

But it nevertheless feels for illustration England person a once-in-a-generation chance of making history, and becoming only nan 3rd English broadside - aft 1973 and 2003 - to triumph a Test successful New Zealand.

Under Robertson, nan All Blacks will only amended going forward. Any cobwebs will beryllium blown away, and quickly.

Next week's 2nd Test is astatine Eden Park successful Auckland, nan belief location of All Blacks rugby, wherever their grounds is incomprehensibly good.

For England, Saturday successful Dunedin mightiness beryllium a lawsuit of now aliases never.