Moody - Improvement needed

Lewis Moody accepts England need a big improvement against New Zealand next week, but says he and the rest of the team will be fired up by facing the All Blacks.

Moody's performance was a high point of an otherwise disappointing effort against Argentina on Saturday, as England scraped a 16-9 win at Twickenham.

The Leicester flanker was rightly named man of the match with his all-action display, and he knows England must raise the stakes when the All Blacks arrive next week.

"We have big strides to make before the New Zealand game," Moody said. "You can't take away the impact a win makes.

"It gives you that bit more confidence going into training. You tweak things and try things a bit more.

Excited

"We are going to have to be far better in many areas, but we are excited about playing the All Blacks. I love playing them.

"I remember scoring a try in my first game against them. That was huge. Nothing changes. Playing them is still a massive incentive.

"We go in as underdogs but a victory does huge things for your confidence."

Moody has struggled with injuries over recent years but now feels back to his best, although he admits he now has to temper his frantic approach to training to prolong his career.

"I'm just really loving playing," he added. "I feel I'm back at the height of my game and that's down to the fitness team who got me through the tough times when I wasn't playing.

"I've always played with that enthusiasm and energy. Hopefully it lifts the other guys a bit.

"Rugby is the most physically demanding sport in the world and the best weapon you have is your body and I put it about as much as possible.

"The old Lewis Moody was a creature of the surroundings and the old boys at Leicester demanded you trained at 110% all the time. It was the way I was brought up. It has taken 13 or 14 seasons to realise that I have to hold off."