Marler eyes Dunedin front-row challenge

on seeing what is happening.”

England’s self-belief was expanding and they backed themselves against any side while they also had massive respect for the history and results the All Blacks had created.

“We need to focus on getting better and better and making sure we learn from every situation we get put in.

“I think we have been doing that over . . . the last two years and we have to make sure that doesn’t stop.” Joe Marler does a nice line in humour. He’s got that sense of timing which is also essential in his work as one of England’s loosehead props.

Even with his bounteous blonde quiff, Marler looks a shade older than his 23 years.

Like many in the England squad he is finding his groove in test rugby.

“I thought it was a good contest against a world-class front row from them,” Marler said of the Eden Park loss to the All Blacks.

Owen Franks was a top tight-head prop and Tony Woodcock knew what he was doing after more than 100 tests, he said.

England felt they got an advantage but not until late in the second half after a really good battle.

Marler revealed England expected Keven Mealamu to start the opening test.

The arrival of the extra wave of England talent had increased the sting at trainings as England went through two sessions yesterday in the rain that descended on Auckland.

There was a real intensity already about meeting the challenge of the All Blacks in Dunedin, he said.

“We have got to win this weekend to take it down to the last test and we are confident if we fine-tune a couple of things we got wrong at the weekend we can push the All Blacks even closer.”

Marler thinks the new laws assist front-rows because scrums stay up.

“These new laws make boys who don’t want to scrummage, scrummage, so it’s always a good contest.” South Africa looked a very different team, in personnel as well as execution, in the slippery Pukekohe conditions.

Samoa are not a wet, cold weather side, but their line speed on defence and bruising running close to the rucks caused the Junior Boks some major headaches. They even managed to upset some of their vaunted lineouts and drives with their aggression as the “malosi” cries rang out around ECOLight Stadium.

South Africa seemed to invariably find the hard point of a Samoan shoulder, though Nathaniel Apa sailed too high in taking Sergeal Peterson around the head in the second half, for which he was sinbinned.

Captain Henry Stowers and fellow loose forwards So’otala Fa’aso’o and Richard Mariota led the charge. Samoa had already showed promising signs in pushing New Zealand hard, and beating Scotland 27-18 on Friday on the same ground.

There was not a penalty goal attempt until the 27th minute.

That was missed by William Talataina-Mu, but then the energised Samoans struck, charging down Jesse Kriel for 2013 NZ Schools rep Apa to score.

South African No 7 Jacques Vermeulen was held up over the line, and No 8 Aidon Davis dived across the whitewash after a powerful South African scrum for their opening try.

Yet Samoa went to the break with a deserved one-point advantage courtesy of a Talataina-Mu penalty.

South Africa missed several attacking opportunities including Davis coughing up the ball from an intended pushover scrum.

It just wasn’t happening until Andre Esterhuizen slid over after a dominant scrum and Petersen put the result beyond doubt. South Africa 21 (Aidon Davis, Andre Esterhuizen, Sergeal Petersen tries; Handre Pollard 3 cons). Samoa 8 (Nathaniel Apa tries; William Talataina-Mu pen). HT: 7-8.