The England team to play New Zealand was announced this morning, so we though it would be the perfect time to take a look at previous teams that have lined up against the All Blacks in the Autumn Internationals over the past 12 years. Here they are:
2002
Jason Robinson; James Simpson-Daniel, Will Greenwood, Mike Tindall, Ben Cohen; Jonny Wilkinson, Matt Dawson; Lawrence Dallaglio, Richard Hill, Lewis Moody, Danny Grewcock, Martin Johnson (captain), Phil Vickery, Steve Thompson, Trevor Woodman.
Replacements: Regan, Leonard, Kay, Back, Healey, Johnston, Stimpson
England won 31-28
2005
Josh Lewsey; Mark Cueto, Jamie Noon, Mike Tindall, Ben Cohen; Charlie Hodgson, Matt Dawson; Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Phil Vickery; Steve Borthwick, Danny Grewcock; Pat Sanderson, Lewis Moody, Martin Corry.
Replacements: M Stevens, L Mears, L Deacon, C Jones, H Ellis, O Barkley, M Van Gisbergen.
NZ won 23-19
2006
Iain Balshaw; Paul Sackey, Jamie Noon, Anthony Allen, Ben Cohen; Charlie Hodgson, Shaun Perry; Andrew Sheridan, George Chuter, Julian White; Danny Grewcock, Ben Kay; Martin Corry (capt), Lewis Moody, Pat Sanderson.
Replacements: Mears, Turner, Jones, Lund, Richards, Goode, Van Gisbergen.
NZ won 41-20
2008
Delon Armitage; Paul Sackey, Jamie Noon, Riki Flutey, Ugo Monye; Toby Flood, Danny Care; Tim Payne, Lee Mears, Phil Vickery, Steve Borthwick, Nick Kennedy, James Haskell, Michael Lipman, NickEaster.
Replacements: Hartley, Stevens, Croft, Rees, Ellis, Cipriani, Hipkiss
NZ won 32-6
2009
Mark Cueto; Matt Banahan, Dan Hipkiss, Ayoola Erinle, Ugo Monye; Jonny Wilkinson, Paul Hodgson, Tim Payne, Dylan Hartley, Duncan Bell, Simon Shaw, Steve Borthwick, Joe Worsley, Lewis Moody, James Haskell
Replacements: Thompson, Wilson, Deacon, Croft, Care, Geraghty, Tait
NZ won 19-6
2010
Ben Foden; Chris Ashton, Mike Tindall, Shontayne Hape, Mark Cueto; Toby Flood, Ben Youngs; Andrew Sheridan, Steve Thompson, Dan Cole; Courtney Lawes, Tom Palmer; Tom Croft, Lewis Moody, Nick Easter.
Replacements: Hartley, Wilson, Attwood, Fourie, Care, Hodgson, Armitage
NZ won 26-19
2012
Alex Goode, Chris Ashton, Manusamoa Tuilagi, Brad Barritt, Mike Brown, Owen Farrell, Ben Youngs, Alex Corbisiero, Tom Youngs, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Geoff Parling, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Ben Morgan
Replacements: Paice, Wilson, Vunipola, Lawes, Haskell, Care, Burns, Joseph
England won 38-21
2013
Mike Brown, Chris Ashton, Joel Tomkins, Billy Twelvetrees, Ben Foden, Owen Farrell, Lee Dickson, Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, Dan Cole, Joe Launchbury, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Youngs, Mullan, Wilson, Parling, Morgan, Youngs, Flood, Goode
NZ won 30-22
2014
Mike Brown, Semesa Rokodugunu, Brad Barritt, Kyle Eastmond, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Danny Care, Joe Marler, Dylan Hartley, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, Courtney Lawes, Tom Wood, Chris Robshaw, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Webber, Mullan, Brookes, Kruis, Morgan, Youngs, Ford, Watson
What do you make of those teams? How does this year’s side rate compared to the others?
Photo by: Patrick Khachfe / Onside Images
19 replies on “England vs New Zealand: team line-ups since 2002”
I still have nightmares about the Ashton-Balshaw years…
My word we were bad in 2006, terrible times. And how on earth did that 2009 team keep it so (relatively) respectable?
My thoughts exactly- defeat by 13 should be considered a miracle for that team.
I thought that too! Although the 09 pack is pretty decent! Just the backs which look awful.
Looking at this makes me realise how far we’ve come! 2006 to 2009, maybe even 2012, just look so bad.
I’m a Bath supporter, but do you really think Bell (and Payne) at prop constitutes part of a “decent” pack?
Certainly the props are by far the weakest part! Payne was always a good prop in my eyes, without setting the world alight he never let anyone down. Bell I would say wasn’t great, but the likes of Hartley, Shaw, Borthwick, Moody, Haskell etc. constitute a pretty decent pack.
Duncan Bell is one of the most underrated England props of all time! He should have had waaay more caps than he ended his career with. He looked like a big old fatty, but he was mobile and had amazing hands.
Payne was bloody awful, though.
If I recall, as I was there, Carter had a horrible day with the boot, so the Scoreline really flattered us.
I was there too, doesn’t mean I could recall anything though!
Carter missed two from seven, which I suppose is horrible by his standards.
God, the 2002 team was decent. Not a weak link among them. The only change I’d have made would be Back for Moody but that”s nitpicking
Some blasts from the past here. Harry Ellis! Tom Rees! Mark van Gisbergen!
Rees and Ellis were both great players with huge potential and suffered the same fate, such a shame.
I agree, though Harry Ellis could blow hot and cold – bit like Ben Youngs
Of the list of players, Tom Rees and James Simpson-Daniel stand out for me as two players who could have become England greats had the injury dice fallen slightly differently (and perhaps the selectors a bit less obsessed with power in the case of JSD)
Rees for me would have been England captain a number of years, in fact, he’d possibly still be it now (he’s only 30). Unbelievable talent.
So despite no thrashings at home since 2008 still so many posters predict a 20 plus beating. 2009 really was the nadir in terms of injury and selection.
Yeah – we’ve lost at home to NZ by 20+ twice in 23 games (2006 and 2008), with teams a lot worse than Saturday’s.
The backs from 2006-2009 look like they were picked out of a hat. Maybe they were. Dark times.
Thats a lot of scrum halves that have been used.
6 different starters in 8 games.
Plus Healey, Richards and Ellis on the benches. And Gomarsall played in the 2007 WC
Between the Dawson/Bracken era and now, with Danny Care appearing to show some consistency, England have really lacked a consistent performer here. Looking back it really stands out as a problem.
Ben Cohen outstayed his welcome didn’t he. Still there in 2006!
Yeah – 30 tries in 47 matches, then 1 in his last 10. Mind you, some of that probably has to do with the lack of ball he was getting from the rest of the team.