Will the All Blacks bounce back to winning ways against England?
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Contrasting fortunes in their respective last tests will be key motivational drivers for the All Blacks and England this Sunday, so writes the New Zealand Herald's Gregor Paul.
"In a quirk of fate, Australia are the team both New Zealand and England last encountered, with the former receiving a sharp reminder about the need for focus and intensity and the latter believing their victory in Sydney five months ago to be the start of something special.
The All Blacks, with 15 consecutive wins before that defeat in Hong Kong, have already shrugged off the demons. They have identified where they went wrong and most of their problems are fixable.
Defeat has brought an edge to training this week, put some competitive tension back in the squad and earned an extra half-hour of hard work on Tuesday under the watchful eye of Graham Henry.
The All Blacks appear to have drawn a similar amount of intelligence from England's last encounter. Despite England having barely a 40 per cent win ratio under manager Martin Johnson, there is a sense of them having turned a corner."
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