Meveryone eats. Hope you enjoyed that first course of Eden Park. The All Blacks will one day lose there, certainlybut it’s been 28 years and you start to wonder …
Anyway, we’re going to Perth. It’s a funny old series to predict this one after England’s Middle Six Nations Series, but you get the feeling that if things go wrong in Perth today, Eddie Jones and his team will face a rough few weeks.
Reasons to be cheerful include: the return of Danny Care and Billy Vunipola, especially with the latter in excellent form for Saracens this season after being left out of several English groups.
England have certainly promised to increase their attack in this series, but we will believe when we see it. However, something that Martin Gleeson, the attacking coach, mentioned last month about England’s achievements in the Six Nations series, and how England should just profit from it, gave you some hope.
As for the Wallabies, any chance of watching Quade Cooper is great fun, while Samu Kerevi was Australia’s best player at the last Rugby World Cup before moving to Japan and offers just as much to like from his direct carry-on and download game . Marcus Smith will know what’s coming on the track.
A few cute stories in the Wallabies suit too with Dave David Porecki makes his debut as a hooker, after leaving London Irish a few years ago after a good turn in England with the aim of becoming a Test player. Finally, there is also a debut for 33-year-old Caderyn Neville. You can certainly forgive him for wondering at some point if he feels his chances are over.
So, after you unpack it all, get your late breakfast ready while we get ready to kick off.