England face All Blacks

England arrived at the All Blacks’ Eden Park fortress today knowing they faced a huge task to regain their self-esteem.

The world champions had spent a painful week recovering and regrouping from last Saturday’s 36-3 first Test drubbing in Dunedin.

But the All Blacks did not emerge from the clash unscathed, with wing Doug Howlett ruled out by a shoulder injury. Mils Muliaina moved from full-back as Howlett’s deputy, allowing the highly-rated Nick Evans to make his first Test match start.

Flanker Richie McCaw also missed out, having been troubled by headaches earlier in the week.

New Zealand’s star back-row forward was replaced by Marty Holah, with Otago’s Craig Newby moving on to the bench, while reserve scrum-half Byron Kelleher was declared fit.

England boss Sir Clive Woodward responded to last weekend’s crushing setback by making six changes, with World Cup winners Mike Catt, Matt Dawson, Steve Thompson and Danny Grewcock among those dropped from the starting line-up.

It represented major surgery by Woodward, who drafted in wing Tom Voyce, centre Stuart Abbott, scrum-half Andy Gomarsall, hooker Mark Regan, lock Steve Borthwick and flanker Joe Worsley as England looked to avoid a third successive Test match defeat for the first time since 1998.

England’s post-World Cup form had been patchy, to say the least, recording just a 50% success rate from six starts, while New Zealand were on a high, given the emphatic nature of their Carisbrook triumph.

A capacity 45,000 crowd packed itself into Eden Park, where New Zealand boasted an unbeaten record during rugby union’s professional era. Their last defeat in Auckland was a 23-20 reversal against France 10 years ago.

Heavy rain that had drenched Auckland since yesterday morning relented in time for kick-off, and conditions were clear and dry as both teams took the field.

New Zealand: Evans, Muliaina, Umaga, Carter, Rokocoko, Spencer, Marshall, Meeuws, Mealamu, Hayman, Jack, Robinson, Gibbes, Holah, Rush.

Replacements: Hore, Woodcock, Collins, Kelleher, Mehrtens, Tuitupou.

England: Lewsey, Voyce, Tindall, Abbott, Cohen, Hodgson, Gomarsall, Woodman, Regan, White, Shaw, Borthwick, J. Worsley, Hill, Dallaglio.

Replacements: Titterell, Stevens, Grewcock, Lipman, M. Dawson, Barkley, Waters.