Rugby: Three key factors

There are many areas of the game where it can be won or lost. Rugby writer Steve Hepburn looks at three parts of tonight's test which may decide which team comes out on top.

Set piece
The English forwards would have been proud of their work last week with a smooth lineout and a strong scrum which had the All Blacks under pressure the further the game progressed. All Black scrum doctor Mike Cron has been busy this week and the front row will be under the spotlight.

Ball security
The students down the road at the University of Otago are in exam mode at the moment. If the All Blacks had sat an exam on ball maintenance last Saturday night, they would have bagged an F. The All Blacks have been working on their passing and catching skills this week at training and will be much more mentally switched on to hold on to the ball. In a game where turnovers are as rare as a Judith Collins blemish-free week, holding on to the ball is the key. Especially so in the modern game and in the covered stadium.

Take chances
It is all well and good to have the ball but you must do something with it - like scoring tries. The English were guilty of coughing up some chances last weekend. That is what is holding the English team back at the moment: the ability to get across the line. Four multiplied by three equals 12 but four multiplied by five or seven is way more. The English have to score some tries as the home team will inevitably find the way to the tryline.

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