Wilko v Carter

Opta weigh up the stats as Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter go head-to-head at Twickenham.

Opta weigh up the stats as two of the best No.10s go head-to-head

Following a disappointing performance against Argentina at Twickenham last weekend, England now face the daunting prospect of hosting the All Blacks at HQ. New Zealand have won their last six games in Europe and they will be looking for an eighth consecutive win against England when they visit on Saturday. In fact since winning back-to-back Test matches in 2002 and 2003, England have not come close to beating NZ, only once finishing within 16 points in the seven games they have played. This game will see Jonny Wilkinson and Dan Carter facing each other for the first time in their national colours. Despite a couple of Lions games in 2005 these two iconic players have never pitted their wits against each other on the international stage. Opta compare their recent form in the autumn Internationals and also take a look at the three players who Martin Johnson has included in his starting XV for Saturday for the first time this series. Both Wilkinson and Carter have played two games in this series of autumn internationals. Wilkinson's defence is second to none in world rugby, and he has been proving that this season, making more tackles (17) than any other back from any nation this autumn. Interestingly it is Carter who has kicked the ball more from hand (20-17) and it is Wilkinson who has opted to distribute the ball more, making more than double the amount of passes (62-30). Both have made some penetrating runs, although it has been Carter who has been keener to take the ball into contact, with more than twice as many carries (15-7).

Jonny Wilkinson v Dan Carter
Player	Wilkinson	Carter
Games Played	2	2
Tackles	17	15
Missed tackles	2	1
Tackle Success %	89.47%	93.75%
Clean Breaks	1	4
Defenders Beaten	2	4
Passes	62	30
Turnovers Conceded	1	3
Kicks in play	17	20
Carries	7	15
Metres	54	73

Wilkinson is the leading points scorer in Test rugby but Carter is not far behind in fifth spot. The 27-year-old is only 34 points shy of the 1,000 points mark, and if he can maintain his current form (18pts/game) he will reach that landmark when he plays France in 10 days time. Two players that Johnson has included in the starting XV for this crucial game are James Haskell and Ayoola Erinle. Both now ply their trade in France's Top 14, and both have been regular features for their respective clubs this season. Both are strong dynamic ball carriers with the ability to beat defenders.

Erinle and Haskell in Top 14 2009/10
Name	Ayoola Erinle	James Haskell
Team	Biarritz	Stade Francais
Apps	9	10
Carries	29	67
Metres	151	136
Clean Breaks	1	6
Defender Beaten	6	10
Turnover Won	2	1
Turnover Con	9	14
Pens Con	2	18
Tackles	19	63
Missed Tackles	2	6

Also included is fit-again Simon Shaw, he joins his former Wasps team-mates Haskell and Erinle in the starting line-up to face NZ for the first time since 2004. He has played just 32 minutes of rugby in the Guinness Premiership this season after picking up an injury in a man-of-the-match performance on Lions duty in the summer. For more statistical analysis follow Optajim on Twitter - www.twitter.com/optajim