England v New Zealand: Steve Borthwick’s side aim to crack elite
It was the one time England have been on the high side of those small margins and a giddy Twickenham crowd drank deep, ratcheting up the decibels and washing away memories of ugly losses to France, Fiji and Scotland.
If that same heady feeling is in the air come the business end on Saturday, it will be easier to peel another big scalp.
Joe Marler has certainly provided the warm-up act.
The England prop’s social media post suggesting the haka was “ridiculous” and should be “binned”, kicked off the expected chain reaction of comment and condemnation.
The All Blacks are keeping their counsel until kick-off. “The boys are aware of it,” said New Zealand coach Scott Robertson ominously.
“We will discuss it and decide how we deal with it.”
England captain Jamie George’s assessment that Marler has “poked the bear” seems accurate.
How do England ensure then that, come Saturday night, they are mounting big-game trophies on the wall, rather than be stuffed themselves?
The absence of the All Blacks’ first-choice loosehead prop Ethan de Groot for failing to meet “internal standards” is big. He gave England’s Will Stuart a working over in some scrums in the summer.
The hosts can’t afford for that platform to be undermined again.
Ben Spencer’s dead-eyed box-kicking is a weapon that will have been sharpened in training. In for the injured Alex Mitchell, the scrum-half will have aerial ace Tommy Freeman to chase his bombs.
Northampton wing Freeman climbed high above Mark Telea to claim a try in the second Test in July. The pair are up against each other once more, and World Rugby’s guidance to officials this week has favoured the pursuers, putting the spotlight on any lazy-running blocking by the receiving team .
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