For free-scoring All Blacks At a glance
England team that won 3-0 in Australia in 2016? Half of them are now smashed to bits.
Manu Tuilagi, who might be fit for the weekend, has played once for England since 2014, a victim of attrition injuries. Jonathan Joseph is recovering from ankle surgery. Ben Te’o has had a calf injury, a torn Most consecutive tests scoring four-plus tries: 12*: New Zealand (25 Nov 2017-3 Nov 2018)
12*: Namibia (1 Jul 2017-18 Aug 2018)
12: New Zealand (11 Jun 2016-12 Nov 2016)
11: Cyprus (20 Nov 2010-16 Mar 2013)
10: South Africa (9 Aug 1997-27 Jun 1998)
10: Japan (8 Jul 2001-25 May 2003) *denotes streak is ongoing
All Blacks’ current streak: v Wales, Cardiff, Nov 2017 (5 tries) v France, Auckland, Jun 2018 (8 tries) v France, Wellington, Jun 2018 (4 tries) v France, Dunedin, Jun 2018 (7 tries) v Australia, Sydney, Aug 2018 (6 tries) v Australia, Auckland, Aug 2018 (6 tries) v Argentina, Nelson, Sep 2018 (6 tries) v South Africa, Wellington, Sep 2018 (6 tries) v Argentina, Buenos Aires, Sep 2018 (5 tries) v South Africa, Pretoria, Oct 2018 (4 tries) v Australia, Yokohama, Oct 2018 (5 tries) v Japan, Tokyo, Nov 2018 (10 tries) quadriceps and ruptured all his ankle ligaments after the Lions tour.
Te’o says: ‘‘When I was getting ready for surgery for my quad, I was laying in the bed with the gown on and I was thinking, ‘I can’t believe I am going under again for another op’ – more crutches and all that. In both codes there are lots of times where you get pressured into coming back early.
‘‘I think about packing it in the whole time when I wake up and my foot is stiff. But then you get to training and start loosening up. Once you are out playing, and you’ve played five weeks on the bounce, life is really good.’’
The clubs literally trade on offensive step up from last year where the All Blacks only managed four-plus tries in eight of their 14 tests (three, zero and two against the British and Irish Lions, three against South Africa in Cape Town, two against Australia in Brisbane and three against Scotland in Edinburgh).
Combatting the increasing rush defence trend has been a key, and a preference towards operating dual playmakers, with the first five-eighth and fullback combining more often, has been a part of that.
So far, so good, and now it remains to be seen if the All Blacks can crack the tougher nuts of England and Ireland, in potentially not-so-friendly
ome don’t make it. Wales and Lions captain Sam Warburton has been forced to retire before the age of 30. England prop Joe Marler walked away from the international game. He was subconsciously trying to pick up yellow and red cards so he would miss England duty. He couldn’t take the travel, the bashing, the time away from his young family.
Most like Billy Vunipola soldier on. Vunipola has had an operation on torn knee ligaments, shoulder surgery, a torn hamstring, two fractures of his right arm and is currently out with a fracture of his left arm. Vunipola is 26.
He says: ‘‘I can tell you a lot of people still have injuries and try to hide it. We saw it with the high turnover of players being released, it’s almost like we’re into NFL territory. Something is going to give. Something might happen where we follow the NFL or NBA, where they had a lockout . . . I feel like something needs to happen for the suits to realise these guys are serious.
‘‘It comes down to how much we play. I might think I’m strong and tough but I’m not. I just got worn down. The suits are always talking about it but they have never played nine months in today’s rugby.’’
Vunipola tried to be a hero and then he would break again. He was too embarrassed to attend sponsors’ events when injured because he felt like a fake. This is the honour of the modern player.
But where is the honour of the people running the game? They will sell out Twickenham for the All Blacks game, even though the match is a fraud. The England team is just a shadow. The public is being cheated. The All Blacks are being cheated.
But the RFU and the owners of the clubs will keep taking the money, cosy in the knowledge that they will not be the ones on their hands and knees, crawling to the bathroom through the pain.
One day I hope some of the people in charge of club rugby in Europe face a class action because their treatment of the players is negligent.
conditions, just as easily.
New Zealand also have some competition for the world record, from none other than Namibia – a team they are grouped with at next year’s World Cup.
The African minnows also sit on a 12-game streak, having racked up their tries in wins over Tunisia, Zimbabwe, Uganda, Kenya (two each), Morocco and Senegal, and in two losses to Uruguay.
In what will be their first game in almost three months, Namibia even have the chance to beat the All Blacks to the new mark, as they play a few hours prior, but the world No 22 should face a fairly stiff task, away to No 19-ranked Russia in Krasnodar.