Jon Wilkin
Former England forward on BBC Two

The youth and exciting element for New Zealand could be really dangerous.

The players are out and national anthems are being sung in sunny Denver.

Kick-off is not very far away.

England will give international debuts to two players against New Zealand.

Jake Connor of Hull FC is versatile, creative and enigmatic. Halfway through his second season with the Black and Whites, the 23-year-old will hope to grab his chance at international level on the back of a string of impressive performances in Super League.

St Helens winger Tommy Makinson, long considered as one of the best finishers in Super League, has had to be patient for his England opportunity. He has scored more than 100 tries at club level and his form has helped Saints establish a runaway lead at the top of the Super League table.

Both start on the bench but we'll see them both at some point, I'm sure.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

Before I remind you of the two line-ups, a quick word on England's opponents.

It's fair to say New Zealand had a World Cup to forget in 2017, and big changes have followed their surprise quarter-final defeat by Fiji.

There's a new head coach in Michael Maguire, who Super League fans will remember from his successful spell in charge of Wigan Warriors at the start of the decade.

Maguire has included seven Test debutants in his 17-man squad for today's game, but there are some familiar faces on show.

Hooker Issac Luke will lead the team in Denver as the Kiwis begin their recovery from the disappointment of last year.

BBC Two

BBC Two's coverage of England v New Zealand is now under way - click on the play button at the top of the page to watch online.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

Here's a wonderful image taken a little earlier of the stadium that the two teams will be playing in shortly.

Impressive.

Home of NFL team Denver Broncos, it has a capacity of about 76,000. It won't be full by any means, but a turnout above 20,000 is expected.

Denver isn't called the "Mile High City" for nothing - it gets its name from being approximately a mile above sea level.

"A few of the boys have been saying they have felt the altitude a little bit," said England prop Tom Burgess after a training session earlier this week.

"It didn't feel too bad at training - probably just the cobwebs from the flight and the game the previous week. I'm sure it will do us the world of good."

Gareth Widdop, England's goal-kicker, added: "It certainly does seem to travel a lot further than usual. It is probably something we'll have to watch throughout the game."

Sam Burgess may have been happy with his efforts, but some of the England boys got the chance to watch the professionals have a go earlier this week...

Since arriving in Denver earlier this week, the England squad have been involved in a lot of promotional events and taken the chance to experience some of the things that the USA has to offer.

Sam Burgess was one of those who swapped a tackle bag for a baseball bat when the players were invited to batting practice before a match between Colorado Rockies and New York Mets.

"It was good fun," said Burgess. "The Colorado coach was very relaxed and let us into practice to hit a few balls. I struck the ball pretty good."

Image source, SWPIX.COM

What's to come for England between now and the 2021 World Cup?

First up, there's today's game and a three-match autumn series against New Zealand in 2018.

The Great British and Irish Lions will return in 2019 for a tour of the southern hemisphere, with many England players expected to be involved.

World champions Australia will tour Europe in 2020, with the Kangaroos scheduled to play at least three Tests against England.

And then it's the big one - a World Cup on home soil in 2021.

Image source, SWPIX.COM

The main decision to be taken following the 2017 World Cup concerned the future of head coach Wayne Bennett, whose contract was due to expire at the end of the tournament.

The Australian agreed a new two-year deal in February, although there is no guarantee that he will lead England at the next World Cup in 2021.

Denis Betts has left his position as an assistant coach, although fellow assistant Paul Wellens and team manager Jamie Peacock remained in their existing roles.

There have also been player changes, too. Warrington half-back Kevin Brown, who started the World Cup final defeat by Australia, announced his international retirement in March.

Sam Burgess "couldn't wait" to be involved with the England side again and kick-off is fast approaching in Denver, with England set to play for the first time since losing the World Cup final to Australia in December.

The idea to play this mid-season Test in Denver was not without controversy.

Several NRL clubs opposed it because of safety fears stemming from the match being played at high altitude, but James Graham - one of several Australia-based players in England's squad - is fully behind the fixture.

He said: "I'm a huge advocate for international rugby league. Sometimes you've got to pay a price for that but I think the price is worth paying.

"We were very passionate about getting this game on. There is the potential to grow this for the next three years and every time I get to represent my country it fills me with immense pride."

Even so, Graham's club St George Illawarra have sent a strength and conditioning expert to the USA to monitor him and team-mate Gareth Widdop, who are both due to land back in Australia about 48 hours before their next NRL match.

Staging today's match in the USA is all part of the push to grow the sport around the world, with North America set to stage the World Cup in 2025.

If it was left to you, is there a dream location you'd like to watch England play?

Where's the best or strangest place you've ever watched a game of rugby league?

Get in touch by using #bbcrl on Twitter or sending a text to 81111.

Here's the team that England coach Wayne Bennett has selected...

This is the first of four meetings between England and New Zealand in 2018.

Today's Test in Denver is followed by a three-match series in England at the end of the Super League season, and you can watch all four games live on BBC television:

• Saturday, 23 June, 21:10 BST - Mile High Stadium, Denver
• Saturday, 27 October, 14:30 BST - KCOM Stadium, Hull
• Saturday, 3 November, 17:30 GMT - Anfield, Liverpool
• Sunday, 11 November, 15:15 GMT - Elland Road, Leeds

England's road to the next World Cup in 2021 begins in unfamiliar surroundings.

Their stars of Super League and the NRL have swapped Castleford and Canberra for Colorado as they prepare to face New Zealand in a Test match in Denver.

The hope is it'll help to promote rugby league to an American audience - will it work?

You can watch the game live on BBC Two from 21:00 BST, or you can stick with this page for live video and text coverage.

Kick-off is about 35 minutes away.

So near, and yet so far.

England reached the World Cup final in 2017, the country's first for 22 years, but it ended in familiar fashion - with Australia lifting the trophy.

There was plenty to be proud of and plenty to be optimistic about, not that it felt like that at the time.

Image source, Getty Images