England target the All Blacks and their No. 1 spot

Rugby union’s top two ranked teams will finally go head to head after it was announced that England will face New Zealand next year.

The fixture, part of the 2018 autumn international schedule, will see Eddie Jones’s England side take on the All Blacks at Twickenham on 10 November. England will also host South Africa, Japan and Australia.

It will be the first time since 2014 that England have met the reigning world champions. Jones says the autumn series will be a “good indicator” of his side’s progress a year before the next Rugby World Cup.

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“The 2018 Old Mutual Wealth Series is incredibly important for England as we build towards the Rugby World Cup in 2019,” he told the England Rugby website.

“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.

“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 No. 1 team in the world going into the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan.”

2018 autumn internationals at Twickenham Stadium

• 3 November: England vs. South Africa
• 10 November: England vs. New Zealand
• 17 November: England vs. Japan
• 24 November: England vs. Australia