As the international rugby season draws to a close this weekend, making it four wins from four in the Northern Tour is exactly the way the All Blacks need to finish the season after a tumultuous year.
The conjecture around the coaching changes, shock losses and inconsistent performances can all be put to a side if the All Blacks can put on a complete 80 minute display of their best rugby in arguably their biggest game of the year.
“It’s a great opportunity for us to show how far we have come as a group and there is no better Test than playing England at home at Twickenham and both teams will be really desperate to get a win," halfback Aaron Smith said.
"We have played in three amazing stadiums on this tour and all interesting crowds and situations, and I think we have handled them well and Saturday is another challenge for that area."
If you’ve forgotten, the last time the All Blacks played England was at the 2019 Rugby World Cup – a semi-final to be precise which they lost 19-7.
Since then, the Covid-19 pandemic has put a large strain on international rugby until this year, meaning the two teams now meet again for the first time in three years with less than 12 months until rugby’s showpiece event returns.
A lot of time has passed since that fateful night in Yokohama and while the scars have healed, the topsy turvy 2022 season has opened new wounds.
The All Blacks opened the international season with a series loss on home soil to Ireland for the first time before suffering their first-ever defeat to Argentina in Aotearoa as well a month later.
The team has bounced back since then though, building a six-Test winning streak which includes victories over Argentina, Australia, Japan, Wales and most recently, Scotland although the wins haven't always been convincing.
“This year has been pretty tough to be honest as an All Black; some of the turmoil and off field stuff we’ve had in the media and everything," Smith conceded.
"It’s probably been a lot worse than that [World Cup 2019] semi final loss."
Sunday morning will be the last time the All Blacks play in Europe before the World Cup and while not every victory has been convincing – Smith said the emphasis should be on them finding ways to win.
“It’s been a tough old year trying to find that, trying to find our feet but this tour has been a great stepping stone for us," he said.
"I think the way we’ve been winning games away from home in tough conditions, in tough stadiums it's been exciting.
"This next game is a real marker of what this year is and what can lead in to summer about how we feel about going into a World Cup year."
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