KEY POINTS:
England rugby loose forward Tom Rees knows he'll have one of the toughest jobs at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday night.
Rees, 23, will go head to head with the player he agrees is the game's premier No 7, All Black skipper Richie McCaw.
"There's no getting
away from the fact that he's been the best openside in the world for the last few years, probably the best back rower, full stop," he said.
"He keeps getting better. He's not drifted away."
But Rees, who will be facing the All Blacks for a first time in a nine-cap test career that began last year, was relishing the prospect of measuring himself against McCaw.
"As a player going up against that for the first time, it's fairly daunting but that's the sort of thing I want to aspire to," he said.
"While I'm fully aware of the challenge, if I sit in my room quaking, it's not going to do me any good. He'll have the upper hand on me straight away."
Rees has studied the nuts and bolts of McCaw's game over the years and tried to incorporate parts of it in his own performance.
He's also analysed the others in the loose trio that New Zealand will field, Rodney So'oialo and No 8 Jerome Kaino, while trying not to get hung up on what they will bring to the table.
"You have to be fairly clued up about who you're playing but there's a balance there," he said.
"If you put all the focus on the opposition, perhaps you will lose any edge you have yourself."
Although Rees' work at the breakdown will be key, he said England had to ensure they gained an advantage from the initial confrontation between ball carrier and tackler.
"New Zealand are well known for being very physical in the tackle on both sides of the ball," he said.
"It's a hell of a lot easier as a backrower when your team's going forward and you get quick ball going again."
Rees referred to the English Premiership final two weeks ago as a case in point.
London Wasps, for whom Rees scored one of two tries, built up a 23-6 lead by halftime on the way to a 26-16 victory over Leicester.
"We saw in the first half that when you're on the front foot, things are so much easier," he said.
"It's going to be about that first-up collision and making sure our guys are going their jobs."
Rees has toured New Zealand before as part of England's Sevens side.
He has also played against New Zealand at age group level, for England under-19s against New Zealand Schools at Twickenham in 2002, when the opposition included future All Blacks Luke McAlister, Joe Rokocoko and Ben Atiga.
All Black assistant coach Wayne Smith said he made an unsuccessful bid to sign Rees when he coached at Northampton for three seasons after quitting as New Zealand test coach in 2001.
Smith said Rees chose to go to Wasps because he had been treated by the club physio when he was at the local grammar school and felt he owed them loyalty.
"The reason I wanted him so badly was the reason he didn't come - he's loyal and honest."
- NZPA
