Former All Blacks fly-half Dan Carter believes England has the talent to shift away from “risk-free” tournament rugby and will aim to make a statement against New Zealand this summer.
England will take on the Kiwis in Dunedin on July 6 and in Auckland a week later. Steve Borthwick’s team will be seeking their first victory on New Zealand soil since 2003, when Borthwick was an unused substitute in a 15-13 win in Wellington.
These two Tests will mark the debut of Scott Robertson as the new All Blacks head coach, following his success in winning seven Super Rugby titles with the Crusaders.
“It’s going to be really exciting,” two-time World Cup winner Carter told the PA news agency.
“I think England have actually even grown from the World Cup through the Six Nations, their ability or willingness to want to play with the ball a little bit more
“I thought they played good tournament rugby to get as far as they did through the World Cup. There was a lot of risk-free rugby, they’re looking to expand and grow that and they’ve definitely got the talent there.
“Now it’s about being willing to continue to play with the ball more and play an exciting and attacking style of play which I’m sure a lot of their players would love to be a part of. It will be really interesting to see how they’ve progressed.”
A rugby fans poll has ranked sport’s five biggest d***heads
We’ve conducted a poll to uncover which players, through their actions on or off the field, have earned a notorious reputation in the game.
Discover the top five below.
#5. Dan Biggar (Wales)
Dan Biggar facts:
- Biggar has twice been selected to tour with the British and Irish Lions (2017 & 2021)
- On 7 December 2015, Biggar won the BBC Cymru Sports Personality of the Year Award
- Biggar came through the Ospreys development pathway, having attended Gowerton Comprehensive School in Swansea
- The fly-half has his own routine before kicking goals, which fans now call “The Biggarena” after Los Del Rio’s 1995 hit, Macarena