England v New Zealand Betting – Rugby Union

Saturday, November 21
Tickenham
Kick Off: 2.30pm

With the turgid victory over Argentina lingering in the annals of history as one game that definitely wants to be forgotten, England turn their attention to the might of the All Blacks, as the Kiwis visit Twickenham on Saturday. England’s first half performance in the 16-9 win against Argentina was regarded as one of the most dire and dismal that Twickers has witnessed. If this is a team which is going forward and building for the future, then it is hard to see where that is happening, or the logic behind some of the selections.

Coach Martin Johnson’s latest selections will not take many steps towards mending the views of the disgruntled fans, as he has gone for brawn over brains to face New Zealand. Johnson has called up Ayoola Erinle, Simon Shaw and Joe Worsley to the starting fifteen, in order to try and bring a more physical edge to the home side’s game. Out goes the creativity of Shane Geraghty in midfield, replaced by the much bigger physical presence of Erinle. The returning Matthew Tait, a dangerous runner sits on the substitute bench. The changes by the England management are designed to slow down the New Zealand attack, and to be able to put up a stronger fight around the breakdowns, an area in which the All Blacks flourish.

The All Blacks themselves are undergoing some changes, and are in a transitional period. The main difference is that despite that, they are still sitting at the top of the World Rankings, while England are languishing behind in creativity and apparent direction. The Kiwis haven’t lost in their last seven outings against England, but are not at the pinnacle of their games, because of the new faces which have come into the line-up. For the All Blacks, this game may be seen as more of a warm up for next week’s game against France, who will be toughest opposition which the New Zealanders will see on this tour.

The lack of creativity and any invention by England to get over the gain line was apparent in last Saturday’s fixture against Argentina. With that game following a defeat against Australia in which England ran out of steam and imagination, England have only mustered up one try in two games. Josh Lewsey, a former international has lashed out at the England set-up and has called into question the quality and suitability of England’s specialist coaches. Now, instead of being brave and taking on one of the best teams in the world with some spark of forward thinking, Johnson has likely slowed down England to a physical game, instead of trusting the changes that need to come to build on a running game.

As stale as England may look, they are still missing a lot of key players through injury. That is no excuse though for the poor showing, as fringe players should be keen to put up a game which challenges the selectors. Perhaps then, it really is all down to the style of coaching, something then, which may seriously need looking at. It’s hard to point all fingers of accusation at Martin Johnson, although everything will ultimately come back on his shoulders. Perhaps it is the falling down of systems behind the scenes, maybe it is the cautious game-plan that is England’s biggest downfall, much like the cricket team. The fear of failure backs them into a corner where they play conservatively from the outset. Maybe there is something to the claims that the Guinness Premiership is not as competitive as it was, or that the Golden age of English rugby really has gone, but it is surprising, with having one of the biggest bases of eligible players in the world, that the English seem to falling further behind the other home nations.

England to win: 7/1 at SportingBet
Draw: 40/1 at Boylesports
New Zealand to win: 1/7 at SportingBet

Betting advice: New Zealand will have a fresh Dan Carter back to compound England’s woes in midfield. Do not expect any razzle-dazzle when it comes to England’s game on Saturday, for they will simply be set up to lose by as few points as possible.
New Zealand 13+ win Margin: 8/11 at 888Sport