Sharing a beer with the legendary Alfie Langer a few nights before the New Zealand game, we were joined by the likes of Nathan Hindmarsh and Cooper Cronk: both overlooked by Sheens for the first match, but clearly allowed off the leash to enjoy their own time in London.
Tony Smith, like Sheens, has assembled a squad almost unrecognisable from the one which competed in the World Cup, pinning his hopes in youth to provide that spark of exuberance and energy.