England's increasing willingness to run the ball - which almost brought them dividends in Dunedin in June - is good not only for them and the game but also the All Blacks, according to Kieran Read.
It was David Campese who famously challenged the English to run the ball against his Wallabies team before the World Cup final in 1991 and watched with delight as they took him up on it to their great detriment. There were no such mind games from Read today ahead of his team's test against Stuart Lancaster's men at Twickenham on Sunday (NZT), merely an admiration that England's notoriously defensive mindset is changing and a couched warning that in fact it could play into the All Blacks' hands.
"They are certainly more willing in recent times to have a decent crack with the ball," Read said. "They've got some really skilful players now that perhaps they didn't have. They are willing to actually use those skills which is probably a difference to a few years ago.
"Certainly I think they have improved their game since I first started. It was a physical game but I don't think that's really changed in terms of how they approach it. They've just got a nice well-rounded game."
Asked if that made England more dangerous, Read replied: "They probably are. Because they use the ball of course they're more dangerous. I think it opens it up for us too, to be honest. I think it's great when two teams actually want to play rugby. It creates a better atmosphere for the crowd and people watching and it's good for us as well, the way we want to play the game.
"To bring the game forward you have to use the ball and they have tried that... I think they'll come out attacking on Saturday."
Most know what the All Blacks, who trained in cold and wet conditions in London today, will try to do against an England team they have played three times already this year - enjoying a clean sweep in June which included two tight tests in Auckland and Dunedin before the blowout in Hamilton. It will be a game plan based on set piece power allied around speed of thought, action, hands and feet, but the same can't be said of Lancaster's men, the England coach still attempting to bring a better balance to his team, along with coping with a remarkable and damaging run of injuries.
Not only is centre Manu Tuilagi out with injury, Lancaster is also unable to call upon a whole host of his top forwards, including big lock Joe Launchbury. His potential replacement, Dave Attwood, could yet be ruled out due to the birth of his first child.
Lancaster is also desperate to create a fortress type mentality at Twickenham for his team, who will follow their test against the All Blacks with one against South Africa, the second best team in the world, and potentially tricky encounters against Samoa and Australia.
Next year's World Cup and the potential of an England v All Blacks final is becoming an extremely popular subject for the English journalists, with Read the latest All Black to play the straightest of bats to the question of the importance of this weekend's fixture.
Read said: "For us we just want to play well this week. We'll be in good shape in 12 months', 10 months' time to have a crack at the World Cup. I think it's important for both teams to play well on Saturday."
