It is not every day England step off a plane to a stirring welcome from a dozen local bagpipers. A regional television presenter in the arrivals hall dressed in full All Blacks kit with 12 trees to present to Billy Twelvetrees was also a first. Never let it be said rugby tours to New Zealand, particularly down in the South Island, are dull, boring and lacking in local colour.
The last time England were here, of course, there was way too much off-field entertainment for comfort. Their 2011 Rugby World Cup campaign was already careering off the rails and the laid-back beachside cafes of St Clair swarmed with paparazzi seeking pictures of Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall having lunch. It is to the vast credit of Stuart Lancaster’s regime that, three years on, such mental snapshots feel like something beamed down from a distant galaxy.
There will be a radically different feel, too, inside the England dressing room at the Forsyth Barr Stadium. The Northampton flanker Tom Wood – sadly, there was no small forest awaiting him at the airport – is among the hardy band of World Cup survivors and confirms the contrast between the respective squads is vast: “It is worlds apart in terms of the cohesion within the group, the understanding of the gameplan and the collective identity we have about where we’re going. It’s not even comparable.”
There is also no doubting the heightened sense of ambition this time around. As one of those sitting in the stand watching England’s 20-15 first Test defeat in Auckland, Wood is determined to do whatever it takes to ensure a happier ending on Saturday. “There were a few areas where we killed ourselves,” he said. “While we’re proud of the effort we put in we’ll never accept losing, regardless of the opposition. We certainly didn’t come out here to lose any games, never mind two on the bounce and be staring down the barrel of three. That would be painful and will certainly focus the mind.”
Adding further motivational fuel is a desire not to let down those, such as James Haskell, who performed well in Auckland only to be dropped in favour of returning Six Nations regulars like himself. “James set the bar very high for me this week and I need to honour that and make sure I match it at least,” admitted Wood. “I wouldn’t like to call it extra pressure. Competition for places is what you need within a top squad and that is what we are aiming to be. We want to fill the shirt with belief and confidence and pave the path so that the next guy who wears it can walk that little bit taller.”
Wood may not have enjoyed the bagpipes much – “No, I didn’t. Too Scottish” – but he does have an affinity with the area, his rugby education having included a formative stint living and playing in Oamaru, the largest town in north Otago. “I learned a huge amount and I would like to think they have a vested interest in me and take some pride in seeing me achieve. I would love to make them proud out here and display that in front of them all, hopefully by beating the All Blacks.”
He and his team-mates also insist New Zealand are the team with more psychological ground to make up after Eden Park. The visitors may be 1-0 down in the series but they do not feel like second-class citizens. “You can never write the All Blacks off but I feel we had control and had the better of them,” insisted Wood. He is particularly keen for the visitors to start showing the kind of composure towards the end of tight games which is such a frequent Kiwi trait. “I don’t think there’s anything specific they do, they’re just used to doing it. They have that absolute belief it’s going to come good in the end.”
Judging by the tone of the All Blacks coach, Steve Hansen, that belief was sorely tested last weekend as the ball slipped repeatedly from tense New Zealand fingers. Hansen has largely kept faith with the same players with the exception of his limping full-back Israel Dagg, but is fully aware that significant collective improvement is required.
“If you turn around and say: ‘So and so shouldn’t start because he played poorly’ we wouldn’t have anyone on the park,” admitted Hansen. “That’s how bad the performance was. We know some of the reasons why we played poorly and one of them was a lack of preparation time.
“There’s no point recreating that again by putting new faces in. As a coaching group and a playing group we have faith in what we’re trying to do. It’s just a matter of getting it right on the night.”
