1 week ago
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I didn’t watch a huge amount of rugby growing up. But when my passion for the game started to grow, the first team I really looked at, and was very impressed by, was the New Zealand side of 2015.
Guys like Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, Sonny Bill Williams and Beauden Barrett drew me in because of the way they played. The All Blacks have always been the ultimate test. It's pretty cool I’m now playing against Barrett – someone I looked up to only a few years ago. I respect him hugely for what he’s achieved.
But we analyse all opposition teams to see where they can be targeted. And New Zealand are no different. The last three encounters we’ve had with them have all been decided by such fine margins - we've lost by just 10 points across those matches. And we go into Saturday's game on a nine-match unbeaten run. You have to be a good team to do that - we’re in a good place and we've grown as a squad since we last played the All Blacks.
A win would be massive for our squad's confidence. We believe we’re good enough to go blow for blow with the best in the world. And, win or lose this weekend, we’ll still believe that. But if we win, it will solidify that belief and also keep our unbeaten run going which is a big thing for us.
In my three matches against the All Blacks, I’ve scored three tries. It gives me confidence knowing I can hang with them in that space for 80 minutes.
Those narrow losses can’t be overlooked by us. They provide great learnings, even if they were painful at the time. Last autumn, we lost by two points. People will look at that game and say it came down to a missed drop goal or penalty. That’s not the reality.
Scoring against New Zealand last year gives me great confidence I can hang with the All Blacks for 80 minutes
The last three defeats we've suffered against New Zealand have all been by such fine margins, losing by just 10 points across those matches
The truth is that across a Test match, there are a million and one different scenarios that determine the outcome. What Steve Borthwick and the coaches have been really good at is preparing us for every possible scenario we can come across.
Crucially, we’ve placed a big emphasis on staying composed in the big moments. There will be lots of them against New Zealand and we’ll have to nail almost all of them to win.
The atmosphere for an All Blacks game is always on another level. Coming out the tunnel, there’s the flames and the fireworks and I'll try to make sure I take it all in before the anthems begin. I try to look out for my family in the crowd. I love the anthems and the Haka. It allows me to properly dial into the game and concentrate. Once that’s done, I’m ready to go.
These are the teams you want to play against. To see the Haka in person is pretty cool. It obviously gets New Zealand up for the game but it does the same for us. It’s great to be a part of. When we played New Zealand at home last year, the Haka started and the whole crowd sung Swing Low, Sweet Chariot. It was so good. We want the same atmosphere again from our fans.
I’ve got quite a few family coming to this game – my dad, brother, sister, my brother’s girlfriend and her family. There are some of my cousins too. I’ve had to get 13 tickets in total. As a player, our allowance is 15 for the autumn so I’m pretty much using it for this game! It’s great my family will be there to share the experience.
Like me, they didn’t know a whole lot about rugby before I started playing. But they’re really starting to get into it. Some of them are still not sure what’s going on. Rugby is a hard game to understand! It’s just nice they want to come. They really enjoy the atmosphere.
My family were a bit concerned after I was taken out in the air by Fiji’s Selestino Ravutaumada last weekend. I got lucky and landed on my front. I’ve seen some of the pictures of me in the air and I thought one of them must have been Photoshopped. I didn’t realise I’d got so high!
Fiji was so tough. I've never been late-shotted as many times as I was in that game. It was pretty physical. I don’t mind running into contact. But the Fijians line you up! They left some shoulder imprints on me, but it was definitely a really good test for us before New Zealand. To go into the game on the back of two wins against Australia and Fiji is a good position for us to be in.
The demands of Test rugby are pretty brutal physically. I’m only 22, but I’m in bits the day after a game and limping all over the place.
My family were a bit concerned after I was taken out in the air by Fiji’s Selestino Ravutaumada last weekend
I’ve seen some of the pictures of me in the air and I thought one of them must have been Photoshopped. I didn’t realise I’d got so high!
I got lucky and landed on my front. But Fiji was so tough. I haven’t ever been late-shotted as many times as I was in that game. It was pretty physical
To try and counteract that, I get in the ice bath in the changing room immediately to calm down all the bumps and bruises. I find hot and cold water therapy really good and love a spa! I try to get moving on a Sunday.
I used to do nothing all day, but actually, that was worse for me. I’ve learned active recovery is best, so I try and get on the bike or in the pool. The aches and pains the day after the game are all worth it on the back of a win.
We’re all hopeful of that being the case on Sunday morning. We know we’ll have to produce a near-perfect performance to win. But we also have a quiet confidence we can do just that. It’s going to be an amazing game.
I just can’t wait to be a part of it. It’s something I never thought would happen to me when I used to watch the All Blacks on TV.
