England intend to play on the front foot as they go in search of their first win in New Zealand since 2003 on Saturday, says captain Jamie George.
Steve Borthwick's team will face New Zealand at Forsyth Barr Stadium in the first of two Tests, on their first tour of the country since 2014, when they lost all three games.
England have not won on the road against the All Blacks since a 15-13 triumph in Wellington 21 years ago, though they did produce a memorable comeback to draw 25-25 when the teams last met at Twickenham in 2022.
George, however, is certain England will stand up to the challenge, telling reporters: "We've come to New Zealand to play our way and take New Zealand on.
"We can't sit back and wait because if we do that we'll be behind our poles 20 points down trying to create some sort of comeback, like we did in 2022.
"We've come to New Zealand to win. The challenge we've laid down is that we play at our physicality and our intensity.
"We'll know whether we're there or not within the first few minutes after kick-off. Walk towards it, embrace it, love it. What an amazing opportunity we have got here."
New Zealand have not played since losing the World Cup final to South Africa last October, with Sam Cane stepping down as captain and the likes of Sam Whitelock, Brodie Retallick, Aaron Smith and Richie Mo'unga no longer available.
Former England scrum-half Danny Care believes they could be there for the taking, telling BBC Sport: "I look at this New Zealand squad and there are so many unknowns.
"They don't have the players any more that you fear. They have players you massively respect, but as a team, do you go there with fear? I don't think New Zealand have that at the moment.
"This is a massive opportunity for England to go down there and shock the New Zealand world."
Mendis continues meteoric rise with fourth Test ton against New Zealand
Kamindu Mendis continued his phenomenal start in Test cricket, hitting his fourth red-ball ton as Sri Lanka ended the day 302-7 versus New Zealand at the Galle International Stadium.
Mendis struck 114 runs from 173 deliveries before being caught by Daryl Mitchell, with the tourists picking up two late wickets to keep themselves in with a chance.
Sri Lanka got off to a poor start with the losses of Dimuth Karunaratne (two) and Pathum Nissanka (27) to Will O'Rourke inside the first six overs.
New Zealand's persistence continued to pay off after lunch as they grabbed a further three wickets, only for Mendis to come to the crease and steady the ship.
He formed a steady partnership alongside Kusal Mendis, going on to notch 11 fours during his 273 minutes on the field before his day came to an end.
Ramesh Mendis (14 not out) and Prabath Jayasuriya (0 not out) were left in play at stumps on what was a promising start for the hosts.
Data Debrief: Mendis the man
Mendis has set the world of Sri Lankan cricket alight since his debut, with his performance against New Zealand his fourth Test 100 in just his seventh appearance in the format.
To go along with his phenomenal record, he has also now scored more than 50 runs in eight Test matches too.
England's cautious approach to managing Jofra Archer during Australia ODI Series
England will continue to take a cautious approach to managing Jofra Archer's workload during the upcoming five-match One Day International (ODI) series against Australia. The Barbados-born fast bowler, who has been steadily reintroduced to international cricket following a series of injuries, will be closely monitored throughout the series, according to a report from ESPN Cricinfo.
Archer's return to the international stage has been managed with great care this year. After making his comeback with two T20 Internationals against Pakistan in May, he featured in all eight of England's matches during June's T20 World Cup, where he emerged as their joint-highest wicket-taker. However, since then, his playing time has been carefully limited. He did not play at all for Sussex in the latter half of the T20 Blast's group stages and was given intermittent rest periods during The Hundred, much to the frustration of Southern Brave captain James Vince.
Since The Hundred, Archer has only played two matches: a T20 Blast quarter-final for Sussex and one T20I for England against Australia, where he showcased his skill at the death by clean-bowling Sean Abbott and Xavier Bartlett in consecutive deliveries. He was rested for the second T20I in Cardiff, and the series decider was washed out by rain in Manchester. Despite these limited appearances, Archer has consistently proven why England has invested heavily in his recovery and return.
Archer is now part of England's 15-man squad for the ODI series against Australia, starting in Nottingham. However, given that he has not played a 50-over game in the last 18 months, he may be rested for one or two matches in the series. England is taking a gradual approach to increasing his workload, especially considering his long-term ambitions to return to red-ball cricket. Archer has not played a first-class match since May 2021 due to his persistent back and elbow issues.
"Jofra will have to be managed throughout the series," England captain Jos Buttler told Sky Sports on Sunday. "He's played a really good stint now of T20 cricket, but obviously you can only bowl four overs in there. There's a jump in intensity getting loads up to taking full part in an ODI - and of course, as an England fan, to push those loads up hopefully to get back into the Test arena as well."
England's interim coach, Marcus Trescothick, echoed Buttler's sentiments, emphasizing that Archer is aware of and comfortable with the long-term plan to manage his workload. "He knows the plan," Trescothick said. "It's discussed long in advance of picking the team on each day. We know what we're doing with him, and where we're going. He's comfortable: he knows what he's doing."
Trescothick further explained that managing Archer's workload is part of a broader strategy, involving coordination between the coaching staff, team directors, and medical personnel. "That's a bigger structure, in terms of what we're trying to do with Jofra. You come into the series knowing what we've got and what we can do with him. That's an agreed plan between the coaches, directors, physios, and all the different people. We'll still be managing him [in the ODIs] - exactly the same thing."
England's cautious approach to Archer's reintegration into international cricket reflects the value they place on his long-term fitness. With Archer having already shown glimpses of his match-winning capabilities, his careful management during the ODI series against Australia aims to ensure he remains a key asset for England in all formats of the game for years to come.
England and Australia series drawn as third T20I washed out
England's T20I series with Australia ended in a draw after Sunday's scheduled third match at Old Trafford was washed out.
Australia won the first T20I comfortably in Southampton on Wednesday, only for the hosts to level things up with a three-wicket triumph in Cardiff on Friday.
However, there was to be no decider on Sunday as heavy rain continued throughout the day in Manchester, with the match abandoned following an afternoon pitch inspection.
Both teams' attention will now switch to the first of their five ODI meetings, which is scheduled for Trent Bridge on Thursday.
England captain Jos Buttler will again be absent for the ODIs, having failed to recover from a right calf injury.
Harry Brook will lead the team in his absence, just 18 months on from his first England appearance in the format.
After the match at Trent Bridge, the teams will face off at Headingley, Durham, Lord's and Bristol, with the final encounter taking place on September 29.
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