Johnson keen to get back on track

England rugby union boss Martin Johnson has vowed his side will rise to the All Black challenge. The no-nonsense manager insisted England will not indulge in any pre-match theatrics at Twickenham on Saturday but save their response to New Zealand's Haka until after kick-off. The issue of how best to handle the Haka has been hotly debated following Wales' dramatic stand-off in Cardiff last weekend and the stirring sight of Munster's exiled All Blacks laying down their own challenge at Thomand Park. Johnson admitted England must increase the intensity of their game if they are to challenge the All Blacks and he is well aware how important pre-match psychology can be. In 2003, Johnson's refusal to bow to protocol ahead of England's Grand Slam decider at Lansdowne Road forced Irish president Mary McAleese to walk off the red carpet and onto the turf. But on this occasion, Johnson has more urgent matters to worry about. England face the best team in world rugby just seven days after suffering a record 42-6 defeat to South Africa. Johnson said: "It is no good just having a good Haka performance. The start of the game is after the Haka and we have things to put right on the field. "We have to give our message on the field. Nobody felt worse about the result last week than the players, who put their heart and soul into it. We don't take those things lightly, It hurt." England dominated all the important statistics against South Africa last week - they enjoyed well over 60 per cent of possession and forced the Springboks to make more than twice as many tackles - except for the only one that counts. The 42-6 defeat included five tries against and was England's heaviest Twickenham defeat.

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ITN | November 28, 2008

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