Perofeta starts against England with Beauden Barrett on bench

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 nan BBC Sport website and app.

Full-back Stephen Perofeta will commencement for New Zealand against England successful nan first lucifer of their two-Test bid connected Saturday successful Dunedin.

Three-cap Perofeta, 27, is preferred to 2015 Rugby World Cup victor Beauden Barrett, who has been named connected nan bench.

Barrett, who has 123 caps, tin besides play astatine fly-half but caller caput coach Scott Robertson has named Damian McKenzie astatine 10.

McKenzie's half-back partner is TJ Perenara, who returns aft an Achilles injury.

Saturday's lucifer will besides beryllium Scott Barrett's first arsenic nan new All Blacks captain.

The matchday squad action is Robertson's first since taking complaint of nan team.

He was appointed successful November and replaced Ian Foster who steered nan squad to nan 2023 World Cup final against South Africa. New Zealand mislaid by a azygous constituent to nan Springboks.

"This was a very reliable squad to pick, but we've selected nan champion 23 players to hit England connected Saturday," Robertson said.

"There is simply a batch of excitement successful nan group for our first Test and we're stepping together toward this opportunity to correspond New Zealand and our families successful Dunedin successful beforehand of a sold-out stadium. We've prepared good and we're ready."

The first Test against England will beryllium followed by a 2nd lucifer connected 13 July astatine Eden Park successful Auckland.

Steve Borthwick's England are looking to make history arsenic they person ne'er won a Test bid successful New Zealand.

New Zealand XV to look England: S Perofeta; S Reece, R Ioane, J Barrett, M Tele'a; D McKenzie, T Perenara; E de Groot, C Taylor, T Lomax, S Barrett (capt), P Tuipulotu, S Finau, D Papali’i, A Savea.

Replacements: A Aumua, O Tu’ungafasi, F Newell, T Vaa'i, L Jacobson, F Christie, A Lienert-Brown, B Barrett.