All Blacks given licence to thrill at Twickenham
All Blacks given licence to thrill at Twickenham

All Blacks head coach Steve Hansen has given his side licence to thrill this weekend at Twickenham after selecting a side that is more than capable of taking the best defences apart.

 

Hansen assessed England's threats saying "They might trick us and come out and play expansive, running rugby, but I don't think so."

 

Hansen said if England want to play that way, that's their business: "It doesn't mean they are a better side, or worse side than us. They just play different. If you look at the test match (against South Africa) last week, a lot of people can get caught up and think how they kick it all the time and that it is pretty negative rugby.

 

"But they don't give you many opportunities to do things, because of the way they play. And they pride themselves on that, and they hang in there."

 

Commenting on his side Hansen said:

"Everybody in our team has a clear licence to play what is front of them," Hansen emphasised. "To me, that is how I got brought up playing. The opposition tell you what you can do, and can't do. So my expectation is that if it's on to counter, then we counter.

"If it is not on, then we don't. Damian doesn't miss too many opportunities. He likes it, so we are assuming we will see it at some point."

 

The Williams-Goodhue midfield combination could offer clarity in terms of planning for the World Cup, but Hansen denied they were ranked the No 1 pairing.

"I don't think so. We are just blessed with some very good midfielders at the moment."

 



 

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