Scott Barrett has come back to captain the All Blacks against England at Twickenham this weekend
Barrett had 12 stitches threaded in his leg after he sustained a cut beneath his knee playing against Ireland a fortnight ago, and missed his team’s 25-17 victory against Scotland at Murrayfield last week, but Scott Robertson, the New Zealand head coach, confirmed that he had played a full part in training and will be ready for the England game.
“We’ve gone for our best team for this game, for this Test,” Robertson said. “It’s remarkable that he healed so well, once you saw the cut. The Barretts must have some good skin.” His older brother Beauden will start at fly-half again, but younger brother Jordie is back in New Zealand having treatment on the ankle injury he suffered in that same match against Ireland.
The wing Caleb Clarke is also out injured, so Robertson has moved Leicester Fainga’anuku into the back three, and brought Billy Proctor in to play at outside-centre. Up front, Simon Parker comes into the back row, and Robertson has kept Wallace Sititi on the bench in a clear attempt to provide a counterweight to the strong set of replacements picked by his opposite number, Steve Borthwick. As well as Sititi, he has Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie among the subs, too.
Robertson says he has no concerns about picking Fainga’anuku on the wing: “Did you see him play the second Bledisloe Cup match?” Yeah, he was pretty handy on the left wing, he’s got power, he’s a left-footed kicker, and he’s playing good footy, so it’s his spot.”
The All Blacks’ debrief after the Scotland game focused on the way the hosts had taken control of the match in the third quarter, when they came back from 17-0 down.
“We looked at the momentum swings, and how they put pressure on us,” Robertson said. “The ability to get out of our own end cleanly was key for us, it just took longer than we’d planned for so we’ve done a bit of work on it this week and how to get the momentum back.”
England: Steward; Roebuck, Lawrence, Dingwall, Feyi-Waboso; Ford, Mitchell; Baxter, George, Heyes; Itoje (c), Coles; Pepper, Underhill, Earl
Replacements: Cowan-Dickie, Genge, Stuart, Cunningham-South, Curry, Pollock, Spencer, Marcus Smith
New Zealand: Jordan; Carter, Proctor, Tupaea, Fainga'anuku; Beauden Barrett, Roigard; De Groot, Taylor, Newell; Scott Barrett (c), Holland; Parker, Savea, Lakai
Replacements: Taukei'aho, Williams, Tosi, Lord, Sititi, Ratima, Lienert-Brown, McKenzie
The All Blacks are also preparing for an aerial contest. “England have got a great aerial game, Alex Mitchell’s a quality kicker,” Robertson said. “He puts it on the spot. It’s a big part of the game for them.
But they also play a bit too. If George Ford gets it out of his hands quickly, you know the game’s on. It’s exciting when you play a team like that. There’ll be a kicking battle, but that’s what comes after, that’s the key.
“We’re ready for a great game of footy. Twickenham always turns on the atmosphere, it’s a great occasion. When Swing Low starts cranking up you know you’re in a special place, where rugby’s loved. I think everyone should look forward to a game that’s going to be played the way it should be, ball in hand.”
