Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick
The World Cup now comes down to two more games for the All Blacks, with senior players Sam Cane and Brodie Retallick excited about facing old foes England on Saturday night.
It will be Cane’s first ever game against the English, which is an oddity considering he’s played 66 tests.
“It’s been through injury, really. If I get the chance this weekend, it’ll be cool” he told media today.
While it is humble of Cane to suggest he is waiting on the word from the selectors, it’s unthinkable that he would miss this encounter. His partnership with Ardie Savea in the loose forwards has been a revelation during the tournament, and played a huge role in the All Blacks’ 46-14 win over Ireland on Saturday night.
Meanwhile, lock Brodie Retallick brushed off a question from a British journalist with contempt in the same media conference. Having been reminded that he once got an English player’s name wrong back in 2013, he asked the journalist if the question was an attempt at humour.
“Good one” he said, when the joke fell flat.
The sides last met last year at Twickenham, with the margin being a 16-15 win for the All Blacks. The result came down to a contentious decision by TMO Marius Jonker, who ruled out a late English try that would have given them the win.
However, the men in white have steadily improved throughout 2019, regaining the form that saw them win a record 18 tests in a row over the course of the 2016-17 seasons. Coach Eddie Jones had masterminded the rise to prominence, and its likely the mind games between him and Steve Hansen will kick off in the media throughout the week.