England confirm All Blacks match
Besides the All Blacks, Eddie Jones’ side will also lock horns with two other Southern hemisphere giants – South Africa and Australia – as well as the ever-surprising Japan.
England will host South Africa on November 3 in the first match of the series. The Springboks were beaten by England 21-37 the last time the two sides met in 2016. Ahead of the Test series at Twickenham, Jones’ team will travel to South Africa this June for a three-Test series.
England will then face the All Blacks on November 10 for the first time in four years. In 2014 England lost four times to the All Blacks including a three-Test series in New Zealand. They last beat New Zealand in 2012, defeating the number one side in the world 38-21 at Twickenham.
England’s Test match against Japan November 17 will be only the second time in history the two sides have played each other. The only previous meeting between the two nations was at the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987 when England secured a comfortable 60-7 victory over the Brave Blossoms in Sydney.
In the fourth test, England will face Australia November 24 who have lost their last four matches against Jones’ side. The Wallabies will play England on November 18 in this year’s Test Series between England’s matches against Argentina (November 11) and Samoa (November 25).
England Head Coach Eddie Jones said: "The 2018 Test Series is incredibly important for England as we build towards the Rugby World Cup in 2019.
"We want to win that series 4-0 and we will need to play extremely well to beat four very good teams over a four-week period.
"The series will give us a really good indicator of where we are as a squad, a year out from the Rugby World Cup, and gives us a real focus on what we have to do over the next 12 months to be ready for that series and win.
"Over the next year we need to continue to develop a bulletproof side, that can find ways to win in matches, and we will have to work hard and be smart in what we do to bridge the gap between us and the All Blacks. Our ambition is to be the number one team in the world going into the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan,"
