KIWIZ vs England

[St Helens RLFC]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_league/7714017.stm

England coach Tony Smith looks set to freshen up his side for their final World Cup group match against New Zealand on Saturday.

After their 52-4 drubbing by Australia, Smith wants to rest some players and give others the chance to push for selection ahead of a semi-final clash.

"We want to create some competition and we're keen to give a shot to all the players who haven't had one," he said.

"Some of them may be in different positions to what they're used to."

With group A teams finishing second and third facing each other in the semis, England and New Zealand are likely to clash again on 15 November.

England will be without St Helens forward Maurie Fa'asavalu, who is out of the tournament with a hand injury, and Jon Wilkin is sidelined witha facial injury, while stand-off Leon Pryce's rib problem is likely to keep him out of action.

Centre Paul Sykes and forwards Ben Westwood, Rob Purdham, Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Mickey Higham and Jamie Langley may all feature against a New Zealand side who thrashed Papua New Guinea 48-6.

Smith has revealed second rowers Westwood and Gareth Hock will be used up front, with Lee Smith and Mark Calderwood starting on the wing.

With the team to be announced on Friday, Smith added: "Some of these boys have been sitting there for a couple of weeks and now they've got their opportunity.

"They've been terrific in training and shown tremendous team spirit. I expect they'll be jumping out of their skins and bring a lift to the team with their enthusiasm."

With England still smarting after the Australian defeat, Smith believes his side still have the talent to progress.

"If we put in a good performance this week, we'll be fine," he said.

"That builds confidence and team cohesion. We've dropped one of our last eight and it was against the world champions so it's not all doom and gloom.

"We don't have to be quite at our best yet but we're building towards it."



England (from): Burrow, Calderwood, Ellis, Gleeson, Higham, Hock, Jones-Buchanan, Langley, McGuire, Morley, Peacock (capt), Pryce, Purdham, Senior, Sinfield, Smith, Sykes, Wellens, Westwood. New Zealand: Hohaia, Nightingale, Matai, Ropati, Vatuvei, Marshall, Leuluai, Blair, Fien, Tuimavave, Mannering, Fa'alogo, Smith (capt). Replacements: Luke, Eastwood, Harrison, Kidwell.





England should go all out to win this game, but we haven't really, it's a reserve team that essentially. I wouldn't be surprised if the Kiwis socked us, but this game is essentially the opportunity for a psychological boost, nothing more.

 

[Javen]

England doing really good so far. But looks like a spine injury for Steve Matai for the Kiwis, looked like he was moving his legs and hand and fingers an all though.

 

[QLD]

A New Zealander walks into a pub, he says "Get me a drink, I'm dryer than a Pom's bathtowel."

Kiwis to give em a scrubbing tonite.

 

[Javen]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (QLD @ Nov 8 2008, 02:48 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

A New Zealander walks into a pub, he says "Get me a drink, I'm dryer than a Pom's bathtowel."

Kiwis to give em a scrubbing tonite.[/b]

Down 24 - 14 at half. And am sorry it wasn't a spine injury, just a jammed nerve in the neck for Matai they later said. Thought it was a spine injury cause they were so cautious.

 

[Bullitt]

England leaking Tries while NZ have woken up.

My argument against international rugby league stands. Overall skill levels are simply not as high as I've become accustomed to watching over the summer.

 

[Javen]

Game tied, great game. If NZ didn't miss all those kicks they'd be winning.

WHy the hell wasn't Isaac Luke starting?

 

[Charles]

Kiwi win in the end...England just didn't have the ball at all in 2nd half.

 

[sanzar]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Teh Mite @ Nov 8 2008, 09:27 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

England leaking Tries while NZ have woken up.

My argument against international rugby league stands. Overall skill levels are simply not as high as I've become accustomed to watching over the summer.[/b]

That is a fair argument for most countries, but not England. I'm sorry, but England have absolutely no excuse for being this bad... You have a very high level domestic comp which, despite the imports, has a number of clearly gifted local players. The fact that you are unable to assemble a competative team isn't a reflection of the lack of competition in international rugby league, it's a reflection of an incompetent English management. Sure, Rugby League probably is a bit of a farce at international level, but I would argue that the level of skill and cohension shown by this English team is even more of a farce. England are capable of much better than this.

 

[bates]

Yeah, kiwiz played an awesome game and England, no words for it.

 

[nam97]

God, how the hell did we turn that around so greatly? It's usually the complete opposite for NZ league so it's great to see a change finally.

What's the bet we will blow it all next weekend and get thrashed?

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Great first half, appalling second half. It ultimately doesn't matter because it's all about next week, but that was a game of two halves if ever there was one. Started brightly and I thought our reserves were going to thrash the Kiwis. And we should have to be honest , 24-8 up and cruising.

Then, just before half time, the turning point. Paul Wellens went off the field injured. Now, Wellens has had so much stick over the past week from rugby league "pundits" because he is "too slow" and "doesn't return the ball quickly enough" which "costs England field position and points." If anything evidences how important a player Paul Wellens is, it was that second half. When he wasn't out on the field, the points were flying it and Vatuvai had free roam to score when he so wished to do so. Paul Skyes got exposed time after time and whilst he's not a bad player he isn't that class.

We managed to get Wellens back on and stem the flow, we in fact staged a bit of a comeback and put some significant pressure onto the field. Then, Sinfield, the second most overrated player in the Super League, tried to throw a dummy and run on the last tackle instead of putting a kick away or, like he should have done, taken a drop goal. Then, we gave away a penalty (which Tony Archer couldn't wait to give) and then he gave the most ridiculous penalty I've ever seen in the international game for a "push" on that jabroni of a kid who came off the bench. I was thinking how good he was, now I think he's a cheating ***. Ably assisted by the referee, who after a series of errors that have gone against us in the last two weeks, I've just about had my fill of. It was a disgusting decision which put us behind for the first time.

We never recovered, we tried to force the game, made errors and got punished again from Vatuvai. Forward pass, but I was never expecting to get that from the c**t with the whistle.

So fair play to NZ for the fightback, but I maintain that England's first team is the equal or the superior of New Zealand's, so I still think we have got a great chance of being in the final in a fortnight. Vatuvai though is awesome and I hope Matai makes a quick and full recovery. It was a great game and when it matters next week it should be a match for the ages.

 

[Charles]

How could England get done by the same move 4 times (Vatuvei tries) I will never know...

 

[St Helens RLFC]

It was spectacularly poor defending. That channel was looking vulnerable all game long and we got stung big time. Vatuvai, however, from ten yards out, is about as close to unstoppable as you can find in either code of rugby.

 

[Charles]

Especially when there's nobody between him and the try line...I mean the winger got caught by the center 4 times...unbelievable really

 

[Gay-Guy]

The good thing for both teams is that they both get two good hitouts before one of them faces the Kangaroos. The Aussies though will be a bit soft after playing PNG and Ireland/Scotland. We saw how the Kiwis were caught with their pants down in the first half after their runaway victory against PNG. So whoever it is out of these two teams that goes into the final they would have had the assurance of two tough matches priming them for their match against the Kangaroos.

Not that the Aussies would lose in the end....but it might be competitive at least.

 

[danny]

The New Zealand union rejects narrowly beat a tiny part of north west England in a pretend world cup that Australia(the only country where there is a decent league and structure)will win without breaking into a sweat. That isnt sporting competition its a f***ing coronation,again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Gay-Guy]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (danny @ Nov 9 2008, 09:56 AM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

The New Zealand union rejects narrowly beat a tiny part of north west England in a pretend world cup that Australia(the only country where there is a decent league and structure)will win without breaking into a sweat. That isnt sporting competition its a f***ing coronation,again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!![/b]

Hmmmm....well one can only hope. Otherwise it may be the end of league as a global game as union seems to slowly yet surely be growing globally.

For NZ or England to win aganst the Kangaroos they have to do what the French did against the AB's in the rWC quarterfinal...tackle, tackle and tackle more....try and frustrate the Kangaroos by trying to slow the ball down, play a bit dirty.....and hope the refs decisions are favourable to them.

 

[St Helens RLFC]

Try fishing somewhere else Danny. We don't march into the Anglo Welsh thread and declare it a waste of time. If you don't like it, don't post about it.

 

[danny]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (St Helens RLFC @ Nov 8 2008, 11:07 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div>

Try fishing somewhere else Danny. We don't march into the Anglo Welsh thread and declare it a waste of time. If you don't like it, don't post about it.[/b]

sorry to offend you as I think the actual game of league is an exciting one, but im allowed to express an opinion on an absolute shambles of a tournament. I mean beat PNG to qualify for the semis.END OF ARGUEMENT!

 

[St Helens RLFC]

You are allowed to have an opinion on the tournament. You're just being exceptionally disrespectful about it.