Barbarians’ John Kirwan: England must take initiative against All Blacks

http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2014/nov/02/barbarians-john-kirwan-england-all-blacks

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England can ill-afford to lose to New Zealand this week if they are to subdue their southern hemisphere rivals at next year’s Rugby World Cup, according to the distinguished former All Black wing Sir John Kirwan. Saturday’s game is the first of four big autumn occasions this month at Twickenham, but Kirwan believes it is the most significant Test between the two countries in over a decade.

“For me it’s a really important November,” stressed Kirwan, whose Barbarians side on Saturday played their part in a splendid curtain-raiser to the QBE series. “I keep going back to 2002 when Martin Johnson’s side came down and beat us in Wellington. If I was Stuart Lancaster I’d want to win at home so that if you end up facing them next year you’ve got that in your back pocket.”

Kirwan also senses New Zealand will arrive at Twickenham with a similar objective, having beaten England 3-0 at home in June’s series. “They’ll be coming with that in mind, that it’s a pretty big game,” he said. “I think it’s one of the biggest Test matches since 2002. It’s going to be a real humdinger. There’s a lot on it and both coaches will understand the psychological importance of it.”

The perceptive Kirwan, currently in charge of several All Black players at Auckland Blues, has seen enough of England, however, to suspect they will once again run New Zealand close. “The thing I like about Stuart is that he’s come in and built a style of rugby that really suits England. You’ve got to have a balance and I think he’s found that. Until fatigue crept in in that final Test in New Zealand in June they were really competitive.

“If they keep having belief in their style and try not to be anyone other than themselves they’ll be fine.”

A similar challenge faces Australia’s new coach, Michael Cheika, after he narrowly secured the first win of his Wallaby tenure in an entertainingly breathless contest. This was supposed to be just an amuse-bouche before the raw meat of the November Tests but Cheika’s team had to work hard to subdue a lively Baa-Baas side who played a full part in an 11-try thriller and kept going right to the end.

Longer-term conclusions are always precarious on festival days like this but the sight of the Wallabies occasionally struggling to get to grips with the new coach’s structures may just encourage Wales ahead of Saturday’s Test at the Millennium Stadium. “I can’t just bring the plays we had with the Waratahs to this level,” admitted Cheika, set to keep faith with the bulk of the side which lost 29-28 to New Zealand last time out under his predecessor, Ewen McKenzie. “We need to build a unique style that’s going to suit us and embrace the characters we have.”

While the powerful Scott Higginbotham is out of immediate contention with a hamstring injury, it remains Cheika’s firm intention to pick players capable of making Wallaby supporters forget the national side’s recent travails. “The issue is about players and the team taking the initiative and changing people’s perceptions, so they can just forget about all the other stuff and enjoy footy for what we can bring.” The Japan-based wing Nick Cummins, described by Kirwan as the Barbarians’ “in-house comedian”, would definitely fit that job description if he can persuade his club, the Coca-Cola West Red Sparks, to release him for World Cup duty next year.

Despite Australia’s six tries, however, the day’s most abiding impression was left by the posse of Kiwis not deemed good enough for the current All Black squad. Francis Saili and Tim Nanai-Williams both displayed sublime skills, the latter’s floated pop-ball for Cummins’ spectacular try worth the admission price alone. Fun, too, were Tomás Cubelli’s overhead kick from a five-metre tap penalty which could easily have yielded a try, and Steven Luatua’s 50-metre gridiron-style lineout throw. When you are tired of Barbarian-style ambition, you are tired of life.

Barbarians Nanai-Williams (Chiefs); Halai (New Zealand), De Jongh (South Africa; Tuculet (Argentina) 54), Saili (New Zealand), Cummins (Australia); Slade (New Zealand; Boshoff (South Africa) 69), Cubelli (Argentina; Pretorius (Cheetahs) 58); Stevens (England; Schwalger (Samoa) 49), Parsons (Blues; Du Toit (Sharks) 49), Ta’avao (Blues), Bird (New Zealand), Kellock (Scotland, capt; Alemanno (Argentina) 49), Thomson (New Zealand; Brussow (South Africa) 52), Todd, Luatua (both New Zealand).

Tries Halai, Thomson, Saili, Cummins, Boshoff. Cons Slade 2, Boshoff 2. Pen Slade.

Australia Folau; Speight, Kuridrani, Toomua (Leali’ifano 65), Horne; Cooper (Foley 54), Genia (White 54); Robinson (Slipper 54), Fainga’a (Hanson 54), Alexander (Kepu 54), S Carter (Skelton 58), Horwill, Higginbotham (McMahon 19), Hodgson, McCalman.

Tries Carter, Robinson, Kuridrani, Horne, Foley, McMahon. Cons Cooper 3, Foley 2.

Referee J Peyper (South Africa).