All Blacks: Team braced for full-scale assault

Julian Savea goes over to score their third try during the QBE International match between England and New Zealand at Twickenham Stadium in November last year. Photo / Getty Images

Facing England at Twickenham will be big match, and Hansen says NZ are ready for it.

The beauty of playing England is the All Blacks can brace early for the certainty of being hit squarely between the eyes at Twickenham.

Having played England three times already this year, the All Blacks don't expect anything other than a full-scale assault when they pitch up at the self-proclaimed home of rugby.

A big pack is likely to come at them hard at the scrum and breakdown and as England showed in June, they are now committed to using the ball more effectively and trying to play at a faster clip.

What the All Blacks also appreciate is that England in New Zealand were one team: England at Twickenham will be another.

"They will be, yes," said All Black coach Steve Hansen. "Home base does give you a bit of an advantage, I guess, especially with the northern teams - they seem to play better on their home base.

"They are not as tired as they are in June and conversely we are coming to the end of our season. That makes a difference. But they have a few out injured ... how well they cope with that will be interesting."

The All Blacks are also aware that England, a year out from the World Cup, are trying to create a psychology about playing at Twickenham, where they will play three pool games and all of their knock-out games.

Their head coach, Stuart Lancaster, is on a mission to create a more substantive brand around his team - to follow the New Zealand example and develop a distinct culture and point of difference so players feel more about wearing the jersey.

To that end, Twickenham has become oppressively nationalistic - with visiting teams bombarded with English history and branding.

The crowd, too, have been asked to do their bit - to cast aside any natural reticence and be unashamedly vocal. And in the last two visits the All Blacks have made, the atmosphere has been daunting.

Watch: Rugby Highlights: All Blacks 74 USA 6

"Every time you read something about it they are telling us it's a fortress," says Hansen. "They are trying to build that mentality in themselves and through that make us get that mentality - that it is a fortress.

"That is something we have to mentally brush aside and see it is another ground.

"I think what we saw in the three test series was that they were pretty keen to use the ball and use their athletes. They have taken the attitude that if they are going to beat us they [will] have to beat us at the game we want to play, which is high speed.

"They will put a lot of pressure on us at the breakdown and try to slow our game down. And there will be a lot of physicality in it but they will also bring a running game.

"They have got some exciting backs so they will put some pressure on us that way as well."

England present an obvious step up from the USA, but the All Blacks were determined while in Chicago to not treat that test as an exhibition. Their mentality all week - and certainly in the game - was to retain their structure, discipline and focus.

Aware they will face a similar challenge at the World Cup next year of playing a Tier 2 nation (Tonga) in their final pool game, they don't want to have to make a significant mental transition into the knock-out rounds.

"What pleased me most [about the USA test] was that they stayed on task right through to the end," says Hansen. "They have set a good platform for ... what will be a big match."

3 things about the 'home of rugby'

Home advantage
They seem to play better at Twickenham.

The Twickers brand
Twickenham has become overtly and oppressively nationalistic, with visiting teams bombarded with English history and branding.

Jolly good show
The crowd will be whipped into an anti-All Black frenzy.