England still believe they can beat New Zealand on Saturday, but motivation will be no problem for the All Blacks. Victory in the third Test will make the hosts the third team to win 17 consecutive Tests, an enduring landmark they have been eyeing for months. Given Richie McCaw’s side have not been beaten on Kiwi soil for five years, an understandable sense of local optimism abounds.
McCaw’s marathon men will be in illustrious company if it happens, with the All Blacks of 1965-69 and the Springboks of 1997-98 previously enjoying such an extended run. This squad have been here once before, only to draw 18-18 with Australia in Brisbane in 2012 with the shared world record in sight. Since September 2011, they have been unbeaten in 36 of their 37 Tests, the only blip being their 38-21 defeat to England at Twickenham a little over 18 months ago. Having already tucked away this series and the 2011 World Cup, they should, in theory, have very little left to prove, but Test rugby has a relentlessly nasty habit of biting complacency on its sponsored backside.
It explains why Steve Hansen, their head coach, has made a point this week of scanning the horizon rather than the rear-view mirror and stressing that his players, imminent world-record contenders or not, still have plenty of improvement in them.
With a new centre pairing of Malakai Fekitoa and Ma’a Nonu and a continuing debate over the merits of Aaron Cruden or Beauden Barrett as the starting first five-eighth in Dan Carter’s absence, Hansen is clearly confident standards can be driven yet higher. “I’ve thought a lot about how far we are away from being the side we want to be. We’ve probably got about four or five more steps to get there, so that’s been our focus this week, trying to really lift our performance to a level we can be really proud of.”
The return of Kieran Read scarcely weakens the cause, the Crusaders No8 having been at the beating heart of the All Blacks’ 16-game winning sequence since that spectacular Twickenham reverse. There is also the small matter of sending England home despondent, regardless of the fringe benefits the management feel this tour has already yielded.
“They are in a bit of a quandary, really, because they took us on in Dunedin playing a game of real pace and worked out they couldn’t,” said Hansen, slightly waspishly. “What are they going to do now? They’re a determined bunch, so I don’t think we’ve broken their spirit. They’re a group who believe in themselves, so they’ll get up again.”
That was certainly the prevailing mood as England transferred from Christchurch to Hamilton for the final game of a lung‑busting year. This large squad are happy in each others’ company and have been exemplary tourists but, as Lancaster acknowledged, a 3-0 whitewash is not something they are keen to declare at Heathrow. “It’s a hugely important game for us and New Zealand,” said the head coach, who has replaced Geoff Parling with Joe Launchbury in England’s second row because of a hamstring injury.
“They want to build momentum heading into the Rugby Championship and we want to finish the season strongly. We’ve been close in the first two Tests and we want to get that win so that when we play New Zealand in November we’re in a strong position. It would be huge to beat the All Blacks away.”
The 14-14 draw in Port Elizabeth two years ago is an obvious rallying point, England salvaging a good deal of pride despite having already been stuffed and mounted series-wise by the Springboks. “We lost the first two Test matches, the second one quite narrowly, but dug in in the third Test and produced a very strong performance,” said Lancaster. “It enables everyone to finish the tour on a positive note and reflect on all the hard work done during the season.”
This, though, is an All Black side whose appetite for victory never seems sated. “To keep winning home and away at international level against the quality of opposition they’ve played is a phenomenal record and that’s why they are No1 in the world,” said Lancaster. “Ourselves, South Africa, Australia, Wales are all striving to emulate them.”
New Zealand fans will keep on expecting until the Webb Ellis Cup is retained next year, suspicious of booby traps even where none exist. As Hansen said this week: “We beat France pretty regularly until the 2007 World Cup – except for the one that mattered.”
New Zealand squad for the third Test
B Smith (Highlanders); Jane (Hurricanes), Fekitoa (Highlanders), Nonu (Blues), Savea (Hurricanes); Cruden (Chiefs), A Smith (Highlanders); Woodcock (Blues), Coles (Hurricanes), Franks (Crusaders), Retallick (Chiefs), Whitelock (Crusaders), Kaino (Blues), McCaw (Crusaders, capt), Read (Crusaders). Replacements Mealamu (Blues), Crockett (Crusaders), Faumuina (Blues) Tuipulotu (Blues), Messam (Chiefs), Perenara (Hurricanes), Barrett (Hurricanes), Crotty (Crusaders).
