Preview: England V New Zealand

Last years series win, coupled with what both teams have been up to since, means that expectation is now on England to deliver, beginning with tomorrow nights first clash at Esher.

At the end of the series last year, the then captain Victoria Grantvoicedserious frustrations at the continuing lack of any sort of a regular match schedule for the Black Ferns, who are in England this Autumn at the behest of the RFU who have paid for this tour.

Grant hoped that the NZRU would slowly begin to recognise the major asset at their disposal - the world champion team but a year on has anything changed?

Well New Zealand do have the major benefit of having recently come through a competitive NPC campaign, with 12 players from the winning Auckland side in the squad. That will most certainly help, but the lack of test games since they last left England theyve played none since means that Englands superior preparation should give them a significant edge.

It was telling last year that New Zealand were so much better in the final test having had more game-time and preparation together as the tour progressed - they will now bring more of that into the first game tomorrow night.

England have played nine senior test games since that tour winning the Six Nations and a European crown on the way while a host of players involved on Friday night were also key figures in an excellent and busy year for England in the Sevens game. England also used a game against France recently to give game-time to a number of players returning from injury and new faces who may well feature in the coming week.

So New Zealand are shorn on match experience once again but they are also shorn on a handful of important players. England have opted to prioritise the New Zealand tests over the start of the World Sevens Series in Dubai next month, holding back faces like Heather Fisher, Alice Richardson and Jo Watmore for this series all players who would be expected to feature otherwise.

New Zealand havent exactly done likewise, sending the former IRB Player of the Year Carla Hohepa to Dubai along with a handful of other big name players like Linda Itunu and Huriana Manuel. Their loss will be keenly felt this Autumn though Brian Evans will be delighted to have hung onto the likes of Kendra Cocksedge, who is likely to be an important player in this series.

To the specifics of game areas itself and there are a number of interesting head to heads.

The battle of the backrows will be fascinating as both sides have named a strong trio there. Heather Fisher, Sarah Hunter and Marlie Packer form a dynamic, mobile unit while in opposition Casey Robertson at number 8 was superb last season and Justine Lavea and Aroha Savage are highly regarded.

The clash of the 10s is also worth a mention. Kendra Cocksedge usually wears the number 9 on her back but has been named as a fly-half this weekend, a key position where New Zealand have yet to really find a long-term replacement for Anna Richards.

Rebecca Mahoney and Kelly Brazier shared the role in 2011, and this Friday the very talented Cocksedge gets a chance with a newcomer Victoria Nafatali covering the spot on the bench. Much is expected of the promising and hard running Nafatali, but at just 20-years-old, it will be a tough ask to throw her into such a vital spot from the start.

While England could justifiably claim to holding an advantage there in a key position they also edge the kicking stakes.

New Zealands kicking game was poor last year in this series, where once it was a strong asset to their game. It needs to be better this year especially if the games are going to be as tight as expected.

But, and there is always a but when it comes to the Black Ferns, this is a side which has shown time and time again that it can cut it on the big stage no matter what has gone before, and even though everything on paper suggests that England hold all the aces before a ball is kicked, its never that simple when it comes to New Zealand.

Its what makes this such an exciting series.