The All Blacks may be red-hot favourites going into Saturday’s mouthwatering Test match against an England side struggling for form, but the tourists are taking nothing for granted.
England got their Autumn Test schedule off to a poor start as they failed to score a try in their defeat to Australia.
Things looked grim when Martin Johnson’s men were booed by their own fans during Saturday’s Test against an under-strength Argentina side.
But a Matt Banahan try gave them victory over the Pumas in the end. And although that was little to write home about, New Zealand No.8 Kieran Read has warned that England will be a danger on Saturday.
Many fear Johnson’s side are in for a serious beating.
But Read believes the home side cannot remain that bad for too long, and he believes under-fire Johnson (pictured) is the man to turn things around.
“It’s always tough when you pin it all on a coach and I don’t think it’s probably fair on Martin Johnson,” Read said. “The team’s performances are what count at the end of the day but we’ll probably see a different side to England on Saturday.
“Teams that get bagged (by the press) normally come out and put in a good performance. We have to be wary of that. England are going to be up for it on Saturday.
That’s our job - to be ready for a team that is going to come out all fired up.
“As a player, he (Johnson) always kept coming every week and he’s not going to lie down. I’d say that's how he’ll be coaching and he’ll bring the guys around.”
New Zealand have won their last four Tests and look to have overcome a slump in form that saw them lose to South Africa on three occasions in the Tri-Nations, and also to France in June.
They are halfway towards a clean sweep of November international victories but have not yet showed their ruthless streak in low-key wins over Wales and Italy.
With the All Blacks likely to name a close-to-full-strength side for the weekend match, Read admits the team are keen to rediscover their clinical edge.
“It’s something we have talked about,” said Read, who is likely to dislodge Rodney So’oialo from the starting XV after being rested last weekend.
“If we do get a lead, we want to maybe kick on with a try and a few more points, and then sometimes you might break a side. It’s about being patient and not looking too far ahead. It’s going pretty well at the moment.”
Experienced loosehead Tony Woodcock is likely to return from a back injury this weekend to help prop up New Zealand’s faltering scrum.