Shields’ toughest challenge

Fix an eye on Brad Shields as he watches the All Blacks perform the haka tomorrow.

Because if Steve Hansen is on the money, former Hurricanes captain Shields, who will start at No 6 for England in London, could have trouble controlling his emotions as he stands and observes the men in black lining up against him at Twickenham.

All Blacks coach Hansen drew on his own experiences as he explained what it was like to try and send your own countrymen down the plughole in a test match.

Hansen coached against the All Blacks when he was in charge of Wales in the early 2000s, and later, when he returned to New Zealand to work with the All Blacks, he then had to plot the downfall of the Welsh team.

It wasn’t easy, he said. Former All Blacks coach John Mitchell is now working as a defence coach for England after previously being employed in destinations such as South Africa and United States for more than a decade, but Hansen says it will be Shields, who left New Zealand only a few months ago, who will be forced to deal with a gamut of emotions.

‘‘He is going to be lining up facing the haka, facing the team that he has always wanted to play for and unfortunately we didn’t pick him,’’ Hansen said.

‘‘Some of his great mates are in that team. I think he will find that emotional, probably more so than Mitch [John Mitchell].’’

Growing up in New Zealand Shields dreamed of representing the All Blacks, and was good enough to be picked for the national under-20 side. But he thought he wasn’t going to crack the test team and elected to align himself with England after signing with premiership club Wasps.

Now Shields will be trying to bowl his former Hurricanes teammates Beauden Barrett and Ardie Savea from the kickoff, along with reserves Dane Coles and TJ Perenara who will take the field in the second half.

‘‘I don’t know how I feel about it,’’ Barrett explained. ‘‘It is going to be weird. Hopefully I don’t see him out there too much, because he is a big brute and he will probably try and line me up.

‘‘I am sure there will be a bit of banter when Colesey runs on. He will throw a few words at him, no doubt.’’

Shields left Barrett a memento of his adopted country when he sneaked an England garment into the All Black’s clothes drawer in New Zealand recently.

But Hansen said it might not feel so humorous for Shields.

‘‘He will deal with it in his own way but it will tug at his heart strings,’’ Hansen said. ‘‘As I said, he wouldn’t be human if it didn’t.’’

‘‘I am sure there will be a bit of banter when Colesey runs on’’

Beauden Barrett on Dane Coles and Brad Shields