THERE IS a game of Test rugby between England and the All Blacks tomorrow but the sheen of anticipation has long since disappeared. The reputation of Rob Andrew's squad has been sullied on and off the pitch in the past six days and New Zealanders will not miss these tourists hugely when they fly home on Sunday.
"We will provide a better account of ourselves this weekend," insisted captain Steve Borthwick. He was discussing the game but a mug of cocoa and an early bed might also be a shrewd move.
It is a sad state of affairs because this tour should have been remembered for very different reasons. England are destined to improve in the near future, with their Under-20 and Churchill Cup sides reflecting the talent bubbling under. But even a win tomorrow at a reduced-capacity AMI Stadium will not salvage a trip of missed opportunities. In diplomatic terms this week's lurid allegations have made the tour a disaster. Another thumping reverse and a 2-0 series defeat would put the tin lid on it.
Martin Johnson, the manager-elect, may already have seen enough to know stern words are required. He will want to know why a team hailed as among the most talented and least knackered to visit the Southern Hemisphere in years will return home having impressed so few.
It is more than likely that Tom Rees and James Haskell will earn grudging nods from their hosts upon departure and Topsy Ojo has established a name for himself. Luke Narraway and Tom Palmer will be mentioned in dispatches and, based purely on body language, Tim Payne and Danny Care will also display the right attitude tomorrow. Too many others, however, have flattered to deceive in a land where talk is famously cheap.
If they need a role model or two, they should look no further than the New Zealand dressingroom. Ali Williams used to be regarded as a bit of a comic turn, a loose cannon with no great stock of ammunition. These days the former football goalkeeper is among the best lock forwards in the world, still sharp as a tack conversationally and the possessor of a more mature outlook as well as 48 caps.
Across the room from Williams sat another inspirational figure in Rudi Wulf, the 24-year-old wing about to make his All Black debut. It is only three years since Wulf broke his neck diving into the shallow end of a swimming pool and he still has the scars on his forehead where the "halo" brace he wore for three months was fixed into position.
"I was just praying I'd be able to get back on the field because I was really missing rugby," he said, revealing that a visit to his bedside from Lawrence Dallaglio during the 2005 Lions tour had helped him hugely during his darkest days.
As it happens, a dozen members of England's squad, plus the coaches Mike Ford and Graham Rowntree, visited a spinal unit here yesterday, spending time with patients and staff. It was an admirable gesture and tomorrow's starting XV also need to show they possess inner steel and boundless determination. This is a particularly big game for Mathew Tait at fullback, a position which is up for grabs. Tait was upset not to feature in the first Test, as is Olly Barkley to be on the bench tomorrow.
Converting that disappointment into positive energy will be crucial.
The All Blacks, though, should be more focused at the lineout and mutterings about Richie McCaw's entry point at the breakdown cannot disguise his exceptional ability. England, as Borthwick accepts, must play better for longer than at Eden Park.
"We didn't show everything we're capable of," stressed the Saracens-bound captain.
His team will need to display the full Monty to stop McCaw the jackdaw securing a second eye-catching victory.
NZ police yet to interview players
THE AUCKLAND police have yet to speak to the England players under investigation following an alleged incident at the team's hotel. The authorities told the England management, which includes barrister Richard Smith QC, they wanted to speak to the four members of the touring squad but "no arrangements" were made.
An incident involving a woman is alleged to have occurred in a private room at the team's hotel in the early hours of Sunday morning after England's 37-20 defeat to the All Blacks.
The allegation was made to the Auckland police that evening but no formal complaint has yet been submitted.
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