World number one v world champions - a special rivalry

Women's Test: England v New Zealand

Venue: Allianz Stadium, Twickenham Date: Saturday, 14 September Kick-off: 14:30 BST

Coverage: Watch unrecorded connected BBC One, BBC iPlayer and online; updates connected BBC Radio 5 Live; matter commentary connected BBC Sport website & app

Undefeated successful much than a year. A winning tally of 29 games successful nan Six Nations. Three consecutive Grand Slams, and six championships connected nan bounce.

Can anyone extremity nan England women's team?

Their formidable records speak of adjacent perfection, but nan 1 squad that person had their number erstwhile it matters astir is New Zealand.

Five World Cup finals against nan Red Roses – 5 wins. A statistic that each squad successful world rugby would dream of.

The Black Ferns were nan past broadside to hit England, securing a melodramatic victory astatine their location World Cup successful 2022.

That achy conclusion has fuelled England to spell connected a 16-game winning run.

"The 2021 last [played successful 2022] was nan worst clip for maine arsenic I was genuinely heartbroken," Red Roses skipper Marlie Packer told BBC Sport.

"It was a really reliable clip arsenic a squad but hopefully we person shown maturation since."

Some revenge was dealt past twelvemonth erstwhile John Mitchell's broadside defeated nan world champions successful Auckland to win past year's WXV tournament.

"England are a awesome squad and world number one, but we are nary strangers to occurrence arsenic well," New Zealand co-captain Kennedy Tukuafu said.

"We were amazed by WXV arsenic we had done a batch of bully activity and were successful a bully space."

Now nan extremity for nan world's number one-ranked broadside is back-to-back wins complete nan Black Ferns astatine nan recently named Allianz Stadium connected Saturday - successful their 2nd warm-up crippled earlier WXV.

The fixture hypes itself and its aggravated rivalry has meant 40,000 tickets person been sold.

Head coach Mitchell, a erstwhile New Zealand subordinate and coach, confirmed location would beryllium thing but respect shown to nan pre-match haka.

Lock Zoe Aldcroft, who started nan World Cup last and scored successful nan WXV1 triumph past year, said that contempt facing nan haka galore times it still gives her "goosebumps".

"We are conscionable going to support it chill and look it. Let them do it, we will past huddle up and support our mind connected our game," Aldcroft told BBC Sport.

"I can't really explicate nan emotion but it besides pumps you up a batch much and it pumps those guys up and you are besides for illustration 'come connected then', and you conscionable can't hold for nan whistle to blow."

The World Cup last ended 34-31 and included 4 tries scored wrong 25 minutes, while England helping Lydia Thompson was sent disconnected successful nan 18th minute.

The Red Roses learned from this and a twelvemonth later scored 3 times wrong 25 minutes to return power of nan WXV1 meeting.

In nan victory past play against France location were signs of pre-season rust successful nan early stages.

Getting retired of nan blocks accelerated is must, particularly erstwhile nan Black Ferns thin not to make mistakes twice.

"You want to get into them arsenic you cognize they are going to travel difficult astatine you successful those first 20 minutes," added Aldcroft.

"It is fierce. Especially erstwhile you look nan haka, that really pumps you up. You past commencement nan crippled and nan first 10 minutes are truthful physical. Nothing for illustration you ever person knowledgeable before.

"You conscionable person to support going and going, but you benignant of get nan adrenaline unreserved done nan crippled arsenic it is that large a crippled that you really want to win. You conscionable spell for it."

Emily Scarratt did not instantly rediscover nan shape that made her World Player of nan Year successful 2019 and a prima of nan 2014 World Cup last victory.

The 34-year-old, who returned earlier this year aft much than a twelvemonth retired pursuing cervix surgery, will subordinate Sarah Hunter and Rochelle Clark successful making 100 starts for nan Red Roses connected Saturday.

The 112-cap centre came backmost earlier nan Six Nations but Mitchell felt she looked "sluggish" successful position of "hitting lines" having simply not played capable rugby, resulting successful only 1 commencement against Italy.

Mitchell wanted to usage Scarratt's distribution skills astatine wrong centre during that run and felt her top-end velocity whitethorn not person been wherever it erstwhile was to play her accustomed domiciled astatine 13.

However, an wounded to regular starting extracurricular centre Meg Jones has opened nan doorway and Mitchell believes Scarratt is now backmost up to speed.

"Emily is looking really bully and has trained good complete nan past 7 weeks," nan England coach added.

"That instauration from pre-season has put her successful bully stead and allowed her to attraction connected her earthy position.

"Now she has a afloat play of pre-season nether her belt, her acceleration has returned, which has allowed her to attraction connected hitting nan shot [at pace] and each her different determination making that comes earthy astatine 13."

The 34-year-old is 1 of 3 England players to past from New Zealand's past sojourn to Twickenham successful December 2012.

Experience of beating nan Black Ferns is 1 thing, but acquisition of beating them astatine nan location of English rugby is another.

It is acquisition that could beryllium important connected 27 September adjacent twelvemonth erstwhile nan Rugby World Cup last is played connected nan aforesaid stage, pinch these awesome rivals favourites to beryllium gathering again.

England: Kildunne; Dow, Scarratt, Heard, Breach; Aitchison, Hunt; Carson, Atkin-Davies, Bern, Aldcroft, Ward, Feaunati, M Packer (capt), Matthews.

Replacements: Cokayne, Botterman, Muir, Talling, Brock, L Packer, Harrison, Rowland.

New Zealand: Holmes; Leti-I'iga, Brunt, Demant (co-captain), Vahaakolo; King, Joseph; Viliko, Ponsonby, Kalounivale, Bremner, Roos, Mikaele-Tu'u, Tukuafu (co-captain), Olsen-Baker.

Replacements: Lolohea, Henwood, Rule, Vaipulu, Sae, Hohaia, Du Plessis, Tui.

Referee: Aimee Barrett-Theron (South Africa)