Robert Kitson in Auckland 

Manu Tuilagi urges England to take their chances against New Zealand

Manu Tuilagi believes England must take their opportunities if they are to level the series with New Zealand in Dunedin on Saturday
  
  

Manu Tuilagi
Manu Tuilagi made his first Test start against New Zealand on Saturday since England's defeat to Wales in March 2013. Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images Photograph: David Rogers/Getty Images

The art of winning close Test matches is becoming an increasing obsession for England’s coaches and players. Twice in the past seven months they have led New Zealand in the final quarter only to come up short and the desire to make amends in the second Test in Dunedin this weekend is visibly apparent within the entire squad.

Among those convinced England should have won in Auckland on Saturday and can still clinch the best-of-three series is Manu Tuilagi, fresh from his first Test start for 15 months. “The good thing is we’ve got two Test matches left and we still have the opportunity to go for the series,” said the Leicester centre. “Can we still win? Absolutely. We showed that on Saturday. We played well, we held on to the ball well and we defended well. It is just those little margins, the last pass not going to hand. It costs you the game, doesn’t it?”

Making the most of their opportunities in Dunedin will be the abiding message when England resume their training-field labours prior to heading to the South Island on Thursday. “We had a few opportunities but we didn’t finish them off,” acknowledged Tuilagi. “In games like this you are only going to get one or two chances and you have to take them. A loss is a loss. It doesn’t matter if you lose by one point or 40.”

The entire England squad also know competition for places is now white hot and Tuilagi predicts training in the early part of the week will turn lively. “It’s going to be exciting… Stuart [Lancaster] has got so many players to pick from,” he said. “It’s going to be great at training. We’ll push each other to get better.” He would not mind being paired again in midfield with Kyle Eastmond, who had an eye-catching game opposite Ma’a Nonu. “He played outstandingly, making breaks and doing what he does best,” added Tuilagi. “For me it’s a pleasure to play outside him. He’s just always on the front foot.”

The fly-half Freddie Burns also did his reputation no harm and believes England’s future is increasingly bright. “Most of the boys really put down a marker and hopefully gave the coaches some tough decisions,” said Burns. “It shows England have got great depth 15 months out from a World Cup.” Like Tuilagi, he is confident they will be better still in Dunedin. “Both teams have got another 30-40% improvement in them,” Burns added. “We’ll analyse the game and look to take those opportunities when they come. It came down to one opportunity at the end and they took it. That was the game.”

The England captain, Chris Robshaw, has definitely had enough of gallant failure, regardless of which players are available or not. “As a squad, we’re in a good place, but it’s one thing being in a good place and it’s another thing winning,” he said. “The only result that matters is that one at the end, and that went their way. We got ourselves in some good positions at times but we didn’t quite finish them off. We’re going to be hard on ourselves this week. We’ve got to win. It’s as simple as that.”

New Zealand may not have played to their customary high standards in Auckland but they remain the team to beat in terms of closing out tight contests. They trailed England early in the final quarter at Twickenham in November only to win 30-22 and also scored a last-gasp converted try to defeat Ireland in Dublin, to become the first Test team in the professional era to go through a calendar year unbeaten.

 

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