Read well prepared for the big occasion despite two months out
The question was a curly one. But Kieran Read’s response perfectly captured the essence of what it means to be an All Black on an occasion like this.
Read fronted a heavily populated press conference at the end of the Captain’s Run at Eden Park on Friday, a little over 24 hours out from the opening test between his All Blacks and the British and Irish Lions.
But it was no ordinary chat, ahead of no ordinary match. It will be Read’s first match in nearly two full months after he broke his thumb playing just his third game of the season for the Crusaders in South Africa. The skipper has set himself for this contest, but even he admits there will be a few butterflies around how he cope.
But it’s a test he was never going to miss, given the rarity of a crack at the Lions in an All Black’s career, and the huge importance of this series. The rugby world’s eyes are watching, and this team of Steve Hansen’s love nothing better than to seize these special moments. It was why Read’s response to the question from a UK will reporter was so telling. He wanted to know if, all things considered, losing to the Lions would be the worst thing to happen for the All Blacks, and did that not create its own pressure?
‘‘There’s always pressure on us,’’ shot back Read who confirmed his right thumb was healed, and that he would wear a protective guard during the match. ‘‘We don’t mind pressure. Losing would be pretty bad, and any time we lose it’s something we don’t like. So we’re prepared to go out and play our game. We know it’s going to be a massive challenge, but this group as All Blacks want to take that head on and embrace it. It’s an exciting time for us.
‘‘We’ll go out there and expect to win, as probably everyone in New Zealand is going to expect us to win. But we’ve got to actually go out and do that. And that comes through our week, our preparation and the mindset we turn up with on Saturday.’’
Read said he has been taking a full part in contact training for the last week and a-half, and was confident in his ability to take care of his job out on Eden Park.
‘‘Obviously there’s a little bit of unknown but I’m feeling great, the body in good nick, and the emotions and adrenalin will certainly kick in tomorrow. I’m pumped for the test match. I guess the biggest challenge for me is not to go quiet when I get a little bit tired.’’
Read was reluctant to rate this series, above such huge milestone moments as his twin World Cup victories. But he conceded the history, and the attention, of this matchup put it right up there.