All Blacks on brink of history with winning streak

In the third and final Test of their series against England on Saturday, New Zealand can equal a record of 17 successive victories in international rugby.

Ma'a Nonu, left, holds onto the ball as fellow centre Malakai Fekitoa looks on during the New Zealand All Blacks captain's run at the Waikato Stadium on June 20, 2014 in Hamilton, New Zealand. David Show more

In the third and final match of their series against England in Hamilton on Saturday, the All Blacks can equal the record for successive Test victories and send an emphatic message to their World Cup challengers.

Steve Hansen’s side have won their past 16 internationals and stand one victory away from equalling the record among tier one nations jointly held by the 1965-69 All Blacks and the 1997-98 South African teams.

Twice in the past four years the team have been on the cusp of equalling that mark. Last time was in 2012 when they were held to an 18-all draw by Australia, while the Wallabies also ended a 15-game winning run in 2010 with a 26-24 victory.

Hansen played down the record this week but hooker Keven Mealamu said he believed it would play some part in their preparations.

Hansen and assistant coach Ian Foster have since said that, if the All Blacks get their performance right at Waikato Stadium, the result and record will take care of itself.

The All Blacks have No 8 Kieran Read back from concussion and give exciting rookie Malakai Fekitoa a start at centre in place of the injured Conrad Smith. England coach Stuart Lancaster has made no secret he is building a side for the home World Cup next year and the series against the All Blacks would allow him to benchmark his team and their progress.

The side have impressed with their combative nature and their willingness to use the ball and develop a wide game plan, if they may not quite have achieved what they set out to do.

There is a paucity of true ball handlers among his tight five, while his big loose forwards do not have the same skill level of their All Blacks counterparts.

When the All Blacks also upped the tempo last week in Dunedin, England failed to stay with them and the 28-27 scoreline flattered the northern hemisphere team.

Lancaster has also had to chop and change his selections through this series because of the late arrival of 16 players from the English club final and has been unable to settle on a top combination.

He made wholesale changes for today, with Manu Tuilagi reunited with Kyle Eastmond in the centres after the former rugby league player was not considered for the match in Dunedin.

Lancaster also reunited his halves pairing from the first Test at Eden Park of Freddie Burns and Ben Youngs, after injury forced Owen Farrell and Danny Care out of contention, though Youngs and Burns proved in Auckland they could control a match.

He also added some explosive bulk to his pack with Billy Vunipola shifting off the bench to start at No 8 with the athletic Courtney Lawes joining Geoff Parling in the second row and New Zealand-born hooker Dylan Hartley also starting.

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