RUGBY : Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield reports England will be looking for World Cup revenge when they take on New Zealand in their crunch Gillette Four Nations match at Huddersfield.
Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield reports England will be looking for World Cup revenge when they take on New Zealand in their crunch Gillette Four Nations match at Huddersfield.
The Kiwis reached the World Cup final thanks to a 32-22 victory over England in Brisbane last November, and now hope to reach the Four Nations decider at their expense.
“This is a massive game for both countries,” said Sinfield, looking ahead to Saturday’s match. “It’s a semi-final, and no one wants to lose a semi-final.”
He added: “It’s a similar situation to how it was in the World Cup last year, when we came up short against the Kiwis.
“A few of the boys were involved in that match. We haven’t forgotten how it felt at the end – and we’re all looking to put it right.”
Sinfield believes the fearless approach of England’s young guns could be the deciding factor at the Galpharm Stadium.
“The young players have really been impressive in this tournament,” he said.
“They’ve all put their hand up on the pitch, and on the training field.
“People like Richie Myler, Sam Tomkins, Kyle Eastmond, Tom Briscoe and Scott Moore have no fear. They go into every game believing they can win – and have performed outstandingly well in this tournament.
“It’s been great having them in the squad. You don’t realise how talented some of them are until you play and train with them. The ones who played last weekend all stood up to the Aussies and will have taken a lot of confidence from our second-half performance.”
