England not focusing on All Blacks' Eden Park record
Alex Coles made his England debut in 2022
- Published
England will not be fixating on New Zealand's amazing record at Eden Park as they prepare to face the All Blacks in Saturday's second Test in Auckland, says lock Alex Coles.
The All Blacks have not lost at their spiritual home for 30 years, a remarkable run of 49 matches unbeaten.
England need a win to square the two-match series after narrowly losing the opener 16-15 in Dunedin.
"We're not shying away from the fact they have this record, but it's not playing too much of a part in our preparation," Coles told BBC Sport.
"As a team we're not going to focus on that too much. We just have to go out there and do our gameplan a little bit better."
The 24-year-old came on as a second-half replacement in Otago and says he revelled in going "right into the heat of the battle".
"That was my sixth cap but it felt like - quote unquote - 'a proper Test match', such fine margins and two teams going hammer and tongs at it," he said.
"It was just personally awesome for me to play against the All Blacks in New Zealand.
"I tried to take a moment when we got there coming off the bus [to soak it all in], but I didn't want to be thinking about that too much.
"When you get on the pitch it’s just another rugby game."
'Fine margins'
England led 15-10 at the Forsyth Barr Stadium before two Damian McKenzie penalties denied the visitors a first win in New Zealand since 2003.
"It was such fine margins so it's about how can we get 5% more in our advantage so we get that extra bit of territory or don't give a penalty away," Coles added.
"It's actually really small things, there is no quick fix. There wasn't anything underlying really that let us down, but a few things here and there.
"As a whole our gameplan went well and has given us belief that we can be really successful and it's just can we just execute that a little bit better."
For Coles this weekend is the final push in a memorable season in which he won the Premiership title with Northampton.
"It’s been an awesome season and I would love to cap it off by getting the chance to play this weekend," he said.
"So hopefully I get that opportunity and on top of that us as a team to win would be an unbelievable way to finish."