- Title: All Blacks focused on "right game-plan" ahead of "special" England Test
- Date: 9th November 2018
- Summary: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK (NOVEMBER 9, 2018) (REUTERS) ALL BLACKS IN A HUDDLE PRIOR TO TRAINING AND CAPTAIN'S RUN FULL-BACK BEN SMITH PRACTICING A DROP GOAL WINGER RIEKO IOANE TAKING THE BALL IN TRAINING AND KICKING BEN SMITH AND LOCK BRODIE RETALLICK NEW ZEALAND PLAYERS IN TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN, KIERAN READ, SAYING: "Yeah it's going great, we're in a great position right now. It means not much to be honest, when we turn up tomorrow I think we've just got to turn up with the right attitude and the right game plan so I'm looking forward to it." VARIOUS OF NEW ZEALAND FORWARDS IN TRAINING (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN, KIERAN READ, TALKING ABOUT ENGLAND'S IMPROVEMENT SINCE THEIR LAST MEETING IN 2014, SAYING: "We're focused on what they've got this time around really. As a team I think they've certainly improved. And right now they're one of the top teams in the world, and they play a game that, yep, it can be fairly conservative but it wins football games and they've got some guys out there who are pretty devastating with ball in hand so you've got to give them the due respect for that." CLOSE UP OF NEW ZEALAND TRAINING JERSEY WITH POPPY EMBROIDERED IN IT (SOUNDBITE) (English) NEW ZEALAND CAPTAIN, KIERAN READ, SAYING: "Yeah it's special, we spoke about that, wearing a poppy on our jersey, that's something you don't get to do a lot. I think it's a special day playing England at Twickenham, and so really looking forward to it. It's one of those occasions that you remember across your career so it's going to be a massive one." ALL BLACKS HEAD COACH STEVE HANSEN WALKING CLOSE UP OF FLY-HALF BEAUDEN BARRETT DURING KICKING PRACTICE REPLACEMENT FLY-HALF RICHIE MO'UNGA DURING KICKING PRACTICE RIEKO IOANE (LEFT) AND LOCK SAM WHITELOCK WALKING OFF THE PITCH IOANE SIGNING A KID'S BALL REPLACEMENT CENTRE RYAN CROTTY SIGNING A BALL AND TALKING TO ONLOOKERS NEW ZEALAND FORWARDS SITTING DOWN AFTER THE SESSION
- Embargoed: 23rd November 2018 18:50
- Keywords: All Blacks England New Zealand Autumn Internationals rugby union Test Kieran Read Beauden Barrett
- Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- City: LONDON, ENGLAND, UK
- Country: United Kingdom
- Topics: Rugby Union,Sport
- Reuters ID: LVA00195SCJZZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text:World champions New Zealand completed their preparations on Friday (November 9) in London ahead of Saturday's crunch Autumn International against England at Twickenham.
Captain Kieran Read led his team-mates on the captain's run at The Lensbury hotel, London, England, UK, as they gear up to face an England side buoyed by last weekend's narrow 12-11 win over South Africa.
The All Blacks have beaten England in their last five Test meetings and have won 32 of the sides' 40 matches overall, although they haven't met for four years.
England's last victory over the All Blacks was a 38-21 triumph at Twickenham in December 2012, but Eddie Jones' men are big underdogs having endured a difficult 2018 so far.
The English have won their last two Tests - both against South Africa - but had lost their previous five, and finished fifth in this year's Six Nations - their worst finish in the competition since 1983.
New Zealand have won ten of their 11 Tests this year, with their solitary defeat coming against South Africa (34-36) in Wellington in September. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2018. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None