England confirm November 2022 schedule includes All Blacks game
England have announced a four-game November 2022 schedule that includes the All Blacks and the Springboks both visiting Twickenham ten months before the start of the 2023 World Cup in France. The November 19 clash with New Zealand will be the first time Eddie Jones’ side will take on Ian Foster’s team since the 2019 World Cup semi-final in Tokyo, a game won by England.
An RFU statement read: “England men will play four home matches at Twickenham Stadium as part of the 2022 Autumn Nations Series. England will first take on the same two teams that they will face in their opening 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D fixtures, beginning their campaign against Argentina (Sunday, November 6) followed by Japan (Saturday, November 12).
“Eddie Jones’ side will then play the All Blacks on Saturday, November 19, for the first time since the 2019 Rugby World Cup semi-final where England beat the three-time world champions 19-7. Their final game is against world champions South Africa (Saturday, November 26). Last month, in a tightly contested game, England beat the Springboks 27-26 with an 80th-minute penalty.”
Jones said: “These fixtures will be a really important part of our preparation for the 2023 World Cup. It’s almost a mini-World Cup in itself and we’re fortunate to have it less than a year before the tournament.
“It will be a good litmus test for the team to see where we are at, culminating in playing first and second in the world. We saw how much of a difference having a full Twickenham Stadium was this autumn and we can’t wait to play a series of games against such quality opposition in front of our supporters.”
ENGLAND FIXTURES NOVEMBER 2022
England v Argentina – Sunday 6
England v Japan – Saturday 12
England v New Zealand – Saturday 19
England v South Africa – Saturday 26