London: The big problem with wearing black is the comparisons it encourages. Had New Zealand led Wales at home by 13 points early in the second half, as a black-shirted England team did on Saturday, they would have buried them, warm-up international or not. Inviting opponents back into the game in the final quarter is as alien to the Kiwi psyche as the sight of Englishmen doing the haka.
Martin Johnson, having represented New Zealand's Under-21s in his youth, knows this better than most. His squad may still be in pre-season mode but so too are Warren Gatland's Wales. Factor in the uncertainty of injuries to Lewis Moody and Alex Corbisiero, both of whom limped off prematurely, and England's first dress rehearsal was not quite the feelgood, thumbs-up Twickenham sendoff it had seemed. The return fixture in Cardiff on Saturday suddenly has a genuine edge about it.
In some ways this is a welcome situation for Johnson. If you are about to head up the Amazon, there is little point limbering up in a pedalo off Bognor. England need to find out what works under pressure and what doesn't. Yet watching New Zealand dismantle Australia at the weekend was a further stark reminder of just how much ground England still have to make up, some of it in fundamental areas. Johnson no longer has the luxury of time to unearth the answers. In no particular order, he urgently needs to identify a fit captain, his preferred option at flyhalf and his most effective midfield combination, issues which World Cup-winning teams tend to clarify years rather than weeks before a major tournament.
Injury issues
Even if Moody's latest knee strain does not prove unduly serious, his uncertain availability underlines why Johnson was unwilling last week to guarantee that the 33-year-old flanker would lead his 30-man squad. Sending a half-fit captain and No 7 to New Zealand is to tempt fate to a foolhardy degree.
All of which raises a question with which Johnson is wearily acquainted: if Moody does not captain England, who will? Mike Tindall is next in line but we have already seen enough of Manu Tuilagi to appreciate what an asset he could be as an attacking weapon. It is probably true to suggest a class act like Brian O'Driscoll could exploit his youthful naivety but the power and timing of Tuilagi's unstoppable surge to the line for his 43rd-minute try was an impressive calling card. The temptation will be to reunite Tindall and Shontayne Hape as a centre pairing in Cardiff; giving Tuilagi a further taste of Test rugby might just be a shrewder call. There is also the question of Wilkinson, as effective as he has been in an England jersey for a while.
England, who are still likely to be without Ben Youngs at scrum-half, may find they have to up the pace for longer if they wish to avoid an untimely setback. And for those red rose fans planning to head for Cardiff in their shiny new replica shirts, a word of warning: Wales will be wearing black on Saturday, with England reverting to white. If only Johnson's men could cast off unflattering comparisons with New Zealand so easily.
