KEY POINTS:
We're used to Northern Hemisphere sides sending understrength teams on mid-year tours to New Zealand, but now it seems under-strength coaching teams are also becoming the norm.
While Ireland are plodding along without the input of coach Declan Kidney, who watches tomorrow's test as a spectator in the stand, England have just arrived in Auckland minus new manager Martin Johnson, who doesn't officially take the helm until the beginning of July.
In the meantime, England's elite rugby director Rob Andrew has taken over the reins for their two tests against New Zealand. Part of his duties involve fending off the inevitable accusations that the English have sent their B side downunder.
Andrew said while there are several new faces in the squad, it is still one of the strongest sides they have sent to New Zealand for quite some time.
"I think some of the past tours the Northern Hemisphere teams, including England, have brought down weakened sides. The IRB talked about it long and hard at the conference last November. There is a responsibility on us to bring strong sides.
"The players we have got have a lot of experience, particularly in the forwards and we've got some younger guys who we feel will be in the mix for 2011."
Andrew pointed out the bulk of the changes to the squad have been brought about through injury which is an unavoidable consequence of a long premiership season.
"You're always going to have injured players at the end of a long Northern Hemisphere season, but I can assure you Danny Cipriani would rather be here than at home with a dislocated and broken ankle and Dan Hipkiss, who played in the World Cup, fractured his eye socket. You can't do anything about that."
Andrew said the coaching staff has spent a lot of time with Johnson over the past few weeks to work through their objectives for the tour. "He's talked a lot in the last three or four weeks with the other coaches in terms of the sort of players he wanted to bring down here, what we want to get out of the tour and what we want to learn," said Andrew. "I think we're all pretty much on the same page on what we expect out of the tour. "Some of those younger guys may not get on the field, but we brought them here to experience New Zealand three years out from the World Cup."
One player viewed as a strong future prospect for England is Rotorua-born Dylan Hartley. The 22-year-old hooker was plucked from England division one side Northampton for the tour.
Hartley is one of several players in the touring side who have been elevated to the senior squad after impressing at age-grade level.
"He's a good athlete, he's a good ball carrier, he's only 22 years old so he's got a bit of time on his side," said Andrew. "He's one of the batch of younger players we've had an eye on for three or four years now."
Several of the more established players in England's line-up haven't had a rest since before before the build-up to last year's World Cup. But captain Steve Borthwick rejects any suggestion he would rather be back home with his feet up.
"Touring New Zealand is probably the biggest challenge you can have as a professional rugby player and it's not often you get the opportunity."
