All Blacks to face Barbarians

The All Blacks will play the Barbarians at Twickenham on 4 November and not England.

England recently equalled New Zealand's tier-one record of 18 successive victories, with their winning run having been brought to an end by Ireland last weekend.

It was believed that the Rugby Football Union was interested in re-arranging its fixture list to ensure that England play the All Blacks.

However, according to the Daily Mail, New Zealand Rugby chief executive Steve Tew has insisted that the All Blacks honour a clash against the Barbarians, rather than accommodate a hastily put together Test against England.

The All Blacks will mark the union's 125th anniversary with a celebratory encounter against the Barbarians before facing France, Scotland and Wales.

The England-All Blacks game was never on the 2017 Test schedule, and it always seemed unlikely that an exception would be made to add it to the fixture list.

England and the All Blacks are not set to meet until November 2018.

OPINION: All Blacks still have edge over England

Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Post by