The previous occasion when the teams met in a World Cup match over here actually. The result was England 6 New Zealand 49 and our centres got wasted, as did the rest of the England team.

That was 13 years ago for goodness sake. Deary me....why don't we just call the whole thing off?!

I wasn't aware there'd been that huge an improvement in English RL playing standards during the last 13 years in comparison to the Aussies and Kiwis... when did that happen? Some might argue we've gone backwards during that time.


No need for such drastic action. We just need to be realistic about England's chances of winning the World Cup this year which remains at precisely ZERO.

I think we are more than capable of beating the Kiwi's on home soil, as we have done a number of times in the last 13 years. I don't think we will win the tournament, but I wouldn't be so quick as to dismiss our chances against New Zealand, should we play them.

No point in trying to be positive, William Eve is immune to all things positive.

I haven't dismissed England's chances against NZ. You just think I have. If you comprehended what I initially wrote... [i"They'll get wasted by the Kiwi centres too (if they decide to turn up)"[/i... the key phrase being [i"if they decide to turn up"[/i. New Zealand has a habit of turning up for semi finals of the World Cup (both in England and down under) and that's when England are likely to play them.

So if England beat New Zealand it's because New Zealand haven't turned up. If New Zealand win it's as expected proving yet again that England aren't good enough.

Brilliant!

Its a curse that a lot of Rugby League fans seem to have. I wonder why they bother?

Maybe they are better than us, but results over the last few years show this to be inconclusive. I don't believe for a second that all of the times we (England and GB) have beaten them in the last decade has been purely because they haven't turned up.

You can tell you haven't posted much around here Farsley

He's hooked you well and good!

Watkins attempted tackle on Farrell was a one on one face on and he missed the man. He will have plenty of those to face in the World Cup. His defence at centre may have improved and look good in SL but it is nowhere near to Intl standard.
As for the tackle he made when chasing Farrell, he was chasing him and he's faster than Farrell, that all!
We have to have better defensive centres than Watkins and Atkins where they are if they are out there I don't know.
That's why McNamara has a real problem.

Yes they are out there.

we even have one that offers more in attack, possessing a better all round game

No it wasn't. He was tracking across the field behind the defensive line when the gap opened up. He had to rush into the line and try to make a tackle on Farrell, who was already picking up speed, running away from the covering Watkins. Should he have made a better attempt? Of course! But to say he missed a face on, one on one tackle is silly.