Playing New Zealand

I am expecting simplicity at the set piece, we should win ours and although they will win theirs but we should be able to make it less than perfect for them.

If we have ball I think Hodgson's pass should be looking to find Allen and Noon running their usual angles. With Evans, Mauger and Nonu, I think a good angle should get through them. If we do get past the first line we need to get the ball out to Cohen, Balshaw and Sackey who can finish form good positions. I do have a vision of Noon stepping inside Nonu and popping the ball to a rampaging Balshaw and/or Sackey. I can also see Allen slicing through Evans and Mauger to go over from close range.

In defence, we shoulld continue Ford's plan from Australia, where he mixed the rush and drift, and moved players around so that NZ set moves don't find the defender they were expecting.

The key battle that will determine who wins possession, and the quality of it, is the breakdown. Our first plan should be to not have one, by keeping the ball alive when we have it. If there is a break down, either on our ball or theirs, we need players in quickly to do the obvious quick ball for us and slow for them. I think we will be try to get a player like Grewcock to sit on McCaw to slow him down, however I think they have picked Robinson to sit on Grewcock. I also think they have will use Thorne to hold Corry, leaving us with a fast 13 man game with no rucks and mauls :-)

So there is a chance, it is possible to win, and we should construct our game to win regardless of being underdogs.