England v New Zealand
Venue: Twickenham Date: Saturday 6 November Kick-off: 1430 GMT Coverage: Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 live, text commentary and live scores on BBC Sport website; live on Sky Sports 1; Highlights on BBC Three and online Saturday 1930 GMT, and Sunday 7 Nov on BBC Two and online 1130 GMT

Captain Lewis Moody and Easter (right) are likely to be important figures

England will be aiming to claim their first win over New Zealand in nine attempts when they meet on Saturday.

Team manager Martin Johnson was captain the last time England beat the All Blacks, in 2003, since when they have suffered eight straight defeats.

"That's a record we want to put straight," said number eight Nick Easter. "We're fresh and raring to go."

But Johnson admitted: "We will have to play the best this team has played in a Test match to beat these guys."

New Zealand have not lost a Test to one of the home nations in Britain and Ireland since a 31-28 defeat at Twickenham in 2002.

However, although they arrive in England as the world's number one side, they saw their 15-Test unbeaten run ended by Australia last weekend.

You always expect the All Blacks to play well - they might play poorly by their own standards but they are a very consistent team England manager Nick Easter

That defeat in Hong Kong has offered hope to a developing England side that the All Blacks can be beaten.

"New Zealand are the best side in the world and they have been setting the standards for a while," said Easter.

"But Australia beat them last week, South Africa did it three times last year and France beat them more regularly than any other northern hemisphere side.

"It will be tough, but at the end of the day it is just us against them. We have to get stuck into them from the off.

"Some of the rugby [in the game against Australia] was scintillating stuff and we firmly believe we can play to that intensity."

Johnson, who led his country as a player when they clinched a 15-13 win in driving rain in Wellington on their pre-World Cup tour of 2003, knows England will need to produce the best performance of his two-year regime if they are to topple the Tri Nations champions.

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"It is a long time since England have beaten them," he said. "That is because they are good. They don't like losing to England.

"You always expect the All Blacks to play well. I have never seen them play badly. They might play poorly by their own standards but they are a very consistent team.

"We know it is going to be a real battle. We will get physically and mentally tested. Everything will be tested and we have got to be up for it.

"We have to be realistic but we have the confidence and belief in what we do.

"The team is developing very well. What we know about the players is far better after the tour. The squad is in a pretty good place."

England: Foden; Ashton, Tindall, Hape, Cueto; Flood, Youngs; Sheridan, S Thompson, Cole, Lawes, Palmer, Croft, Moody (capt), Easter (Harlequins).
Replacements: Hartley, Wilson, Attwood, Fourie, Care, Hodgson, D Armitage.

New Zealand: Muliaina; Rokocoko, Williams, Nonu, H Gear; Carter, Mathewson; Woodcock, Mealamu, O Franks, Thorn, Whitelock, Kaino, McCaw (capt), Read.
Replacements: Elliot, Afoa, Boric, Messam, Ellis, Donald, Toeava.

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