Steve Hansen warning for old school England

England revealed this week they plan to slam down the shutters on the All Blacks expansive style, with defence coach Mike Ford hoping to drag the game into an arm-wrestle.

Ford claimed the try-laden Tri Nations, which New Zealand won without losing a game, does not properly represent full-on Test rugby - the inference being that England will teach them a lesson. But Hansen dismissed Ford's comments and pointedly told England they will never conquer world rugby again with a one-dimensional approach.

"I think England would be happy to go from set piece to set piece to set piece, so they can take us on in that area and see if they can beat us," said Hansen.

"We know from experience that when we play England they will be very physical up front and we've got to match that and get on top of it. That is the type of game they want to play, but that doesn't stop us from playing our own style of rugby. We can mix and match. You don't become the number one side if you don't have more than one bullet in the gun."

England brought Andrew Sheridan back into the side at loosehead prop following his return from shoulder surgery and they will look to put the All Blacks under pressure in the scrum. But Hansen believes that is a battle Owen Franks, who is set to be named as the starting All Blacks tighthead, will relish.

"When he is on form Sheridan is a pretty awesome scrummaging prop. I think that's part of the game that suits Owen," said Hansen. "He is an athlete who is built to be a set-piece player."

Hansen has no truck with Ford's assertion that the Tri Nations is a diluted version of international rugby. Ford had said: "There were three games in the Tri Nations that produced an average of 77 points and that, for me, isn't Test rugby. We want to make this a good old-fashioned Test rugby game."

But Hansen responded: "I just don't relate to people saying there is no intensity in the Tri Nations. You have the three best sides in the world. When you are playing South Africa in Soweto and you have to come from behind to win the game, there is plenty of intensity in that.

"The difference in the two hemispheres is the pace of the game. In the southern hemisphere they want to play a faster, moving style of game. In the northern hemisphere - with the exception of France and Wales over a long period of time - the game is more about in-your-face, physical contact. It doesn't make it a better game or a worse game from my point of view."

New Zealand will announce their team to play England this morning.