AFP - England manager Martin Johnson, extraordinarily appointed to his post last year without any previous coaching experience, likes to deflect criticism by saying everyone is entitled to an opinion.

But even the 2003 World Cup winning captain admitted England were well below standard last Saturday in seeing off a limited Argentina side 16-9 thanks to a lone Matt Banahan try 10 minutes from the end of a dire contest.

Now the far sterner challenge of the All Blacks - who've won their last seven Tests against England - lies in front of Johnson's men at Twickenham.

England fans, some of whom booed the side off at half-time last weekend, may believe that, because their team have been so widely written off, they may yet win this Saturday, just as France upset the odds in beating New Zealand in the 2007 World Cup quarter-finals.

That France team did though possess an element of surprise.

Both the captains of Australia, 18-9 winners at Twickenham earlier this month, and Argentina said England played as they believed they would.

The problem for England lately against the best opposition is they have been both overpowered and out-thought - their strength has not proved strong enough.

England attack coach Brian Smith revealed after the Argentina match it was because of his instructions that so much ball had been kicked away.

"I put my hand up - I was the guy who said to the boys 'we have to be conservative in the first 20 minutes," said the former Australia and Ireland international. "In hindsight, I wish I'd kept my mouth shut."

Shane Geraghty would doubtless agree - the inside centre was dropped after following Smith's advice against the Pumas.

But rather than promote another playmaker in Mathew Tait, Johnson has handed a first Test start to Ayoola Erinle. Normally an outside centre, the powerful Erinle has been picked as an inside centre.

It is a selection that smacks of damage limitation, as does the return of tough-tackling back-row Joe Worsley.

World Cup-winning centre Will Greenwood, whose passing and handling skills have been badly missed by England since his retirement, warned the team would not succeed with its current approach.

"I said after the game last week, I thought it was the worst attacking display I had seen from an England team in a long, long time," Greenwood told Sky Sports.

"I wondered if I had been too harsh - but when I went home and watched the game again I could have been harsher. They looked like they had never met.

"The coaches have to create an environment where guys can translate their club form on to an international field. We are stunting the ability.

"Shane Geraghty has paid the price for it. He has been superb for Northampton but he looks like he is playing a different sport for England."

The recall of fit-again lock Simon Shaw, a star for the British and Irish Lions during this year's losing tour of South Africa, is though likely to give England some much needed force.

As is the way with successful sides, even the disciplinary process is favouring New Zealand.

Star fly-half Dan Carter, who needs just two points on Saturday to become New Zealand's record scorer in internationals, was suspended from last week's dogged 20-6 win away to Italy as he served a one-week ban which allowed him to rest a calf injury.

In Carter and England's Jonny Wilkinson, Saturday's match features arguably the two best No 10s around.

But if England are to stop Carter from pulling the strings, they must first get to him - no easy feat against am All Black team captained by openside flanker Richie McCaw.

However, New Zealand coach Graham Henry - who in the furore over the France loss two years ago clung on to his job - was wary of England.

"They got booed in the 2007 World Cup and ended up playing in the final," the former Wales coach, who had Johnson as his captain when he in charge of the 2001 Lions in Australia, said.

"We respect England," Henry added. "They are inclined to come right when they play big games." The Twickenham faithful will hope he is proved correct.