Yahoo Sports England hoping to end 'rollercoaster year' on high
New Zealand v England second Test
Date: Saturday, 13 July Kick-off: 08:05 BST Venue: Eden Park, Auckland
Coverage: Listen to live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Sounds and follow live text commentary on the BBC Sport website and app.
Captain Jamie George hopes England can cap off a "rollercoaster of a year" by inflicting New Zealand's first defeat at Eden Park for 30 years.
England lost 16-15 to the All Blacks in Dunedin in the first game of their two-Test series, which concludes in Auckland on Saturday.
Eleven months have passed since Steve Borthwick's side lost three of their four games during a stuttering build-up for the Rugby World Cup, the low point being a first-ever home defeat by Fiji.
In France, England came within a few minutes of reaching the final and eventually finished third, before putting in a creditable Six Nations showing.
Further impressive displays in Japan and New Zealand have increased hopes of what would be a historic England victory on Saturday.
Saracens hooker George told the BBC's Rugby Union Daily podcast: "If you think about the Fiji game at Twickenham all those months ago, the journey this team has been on and the sort of trajectory we're looking like we're going on now has been huge and [it has been] a rollercoaster of a year.
"The World Cup, the disappointment against South Africa [in the semi-final], a huge win at home against Ireland and running France close - we put our hands up to win that Six Nations.
"Going to Eden Park and winning this weekend would cap off an amazing year for English rugby very nicely."
England's recent progress was exemplified by their performance in Dunedin, where they fell just short of a first win against the All Blacks in New Zealand since 2003.
Borthwick said: "For 50 minutes, the players were positive and aggressive with the ball.
"If there's one area I'd want to improve upon, there was a feeling midway through the second half that we weren't as aggressive with the ball as we wanted to be.
"We've got such talent, pace and skill within this team. I want the players to go on to the grass on Saturday and play big."
England 'playing like a liberated team'
The challenge awaiting England on Saturday is one of the most fierce in international rugby.
France were the last team to beat New Zealand at Eden Park in 1994, while England have lost on their past four visits since their most recent victory there in 1973.
"We absolutely respect everything that the All Blacks are about and their record at Eden Park, but at the same time if we're not here to win then we shouldn't be here," said George.
Earlier this week on the Rugby Union Daily podcast, there was optimism that England could level the series.
"I think England will be very confident that they will win this weekend," said ex-England scrum-half Danny Care, while former winger Ugo Monye added: "I don't think they'll be bothered or intimidated by going to Eden Park.
"Everyone will talk about the history, but half of the squad or more will be like: 'Oh right, I didn't know that'. So that history is not something that weighs them down.
"They're playing like a liberated team. I think England are good enough to beat the All Blacks at Eden Park, because whilst their record is absolutely outstanding, this isn't the best All Blacks side we've seen in 30 years as well."
However, ex-England winger Chris Ashton expects an improved New Zealand performance in Auckland.
"New Zealand are notoriously slow starters, especially when you've got a new group together and a new coach," he said. "If England were going to win, I think it was going to be [in the first Test].
"At Eden Park - there's a reason they haven't lost there for 30 years. They're going to be so much better this weekend."
Two changes for England
England have made two injury-enforced changes to their starting XV, with prop Fin Baxter replacing Harlequins team-mate Joe Marler and Freddie Steward coming in for George Furbank at full-back.
Borthwick said he "could not describe how important and valuable" it was that Marler had stayed with the team to "help the younger players in the group", rather than fly home once his absence from the second Test was confirmed.
As for Baxter, George was hugely impressed with the 22-year-old prop's international debut from the bench in the first Test.
He said: "It was a daunting situation for him to come into; a couple of scrum penalties didn't go our way, coming on 20 minutes into the game - you never expect to do that, as a loose-head prop anyway, so he probably wasn't that warm.
"He's an incredibly strong scrummager and we've known that for a while, but what pleased me most was his work around the field and his contacts. He was very impressive."
Line-ups
New Zealand: Perofeta; Reece, Ioane, J Barrett, Tele'a; McKenzie, Christie; De Groot, Taylor, Lomax, S Barrett (capt), Tuipulotu, Finau, Papali'i, Savea.
Replacements: Aumua, Tu'ungafasi, Newell, Vaa'i, Jacobson, Ratima, Lienert-Brown, B Barrett.
England: Steward; Feyi-Waboso, Slade, Lawrence, Freeman; M Smith, Mitchell; Baxter, George (capt), Stuart, Itoje, Martin, Cunningham-South, Underhill, Earl.
Replacements: Dan, Rodd, Cole, Coles, Curry, Spencer, F Smith, Sleightholme.
Referee: Nic Berry (Australia).
