Semi Final: England vs New Zealand

[DIEHARD]

England vs New Zealand

[Coaster]

I'm guessing England win this game then haha

[DIEHARD]

I reckon England will get obliterated.

[Coaster]

I reckon England will get obliterated.

I was being cheeky, and referring to the England France game I was watching

[Skyfire]

Yea that was a good game by French

[Skyfire]

England are going to get caned here.

[DIEHARD]

Saturday November 23
SEMI FINAL 1: New Zealand v England
10.30pm AEST LIVE on 7mate | 12pm replay on 7mate on Sunday November 24

[DIEHARD]

I hear Widdop is in and Chase dropped. I'm gonna confirm but if true I rate England a chance now. Their stocks have risen.

[TITAN PETE]

I hear Widdop is in and Chase dropped. I'm gonna confirm but if true I rate England a chance now. Their stocks have risen.

10 fold better team with Widdop in Chase is not a rep player

This may be a game of tactics for England to put the Kiwi boys off their game with a lot of niggle to JWH & SBW to try & score plenty of penalties because NZ have far too much fire power for the Poms..

[TITAN PETE]

Vatuvei to miss World Cup semi-final

AAP
6:36am Fri 22nd November, 2013


Bullocking wing Manu Vatuvei has been ruled out of New Zealand's Rugby League World Cup semi-final against England at Wembley while Frank Pritchard remains in doubt.

Vatuvei lost his race to get over his groin injury, with coach Stephen Kearney confirming Jason Nightingale will take his place in the side.

"Manu hasn't run at all this week, there was a chance that he could've been right for Saturday, but we would've had to wait right up until the last minute.

"With what's at stake, I wanted to give Jason Nightingale a full week's preparation on the wing, so he could get his mind around playing," Kearney said.

Pritchard has been bracketed alongside Alex Glenn in the starting side while he battles a hamstring strain.

"We're hopeful, but we'll have to see how pulls up over the next couple of days," Kearney said.

Kevin Locke has been retained over Josh Hoffman at fullback in one of the more hotly contested spots in the side.

"I thought Kevin had a really good match last week. For this game, I thought this was the best choice for the group. He deserved the opportunity," Kearney said.

Sam Kasiano will start from the bench, joining fellow props Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Jesse Bromwich and Ben Matulino in the side, with Sam Moa missing out.

"Sam Kasiano offers something a little bit different to the other front rowers. He has got a lovely touch with the hands and he's a big guy who can put a real hole in your defensive line if you're not ready for him."

England has also named its side, with New Zealand-born Rangi Chase the shock omission.

Chase has been replaced by former Melbourne Storm and now St George Illawarra half Gareth Widdop.

Squad: Kevin Locke, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Dean Whare, Bryson Goodwin, Jason Nightingale, Kieran Foran, Shaun Johnson, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Issac Luke, Jesse Bromwich, Frank Pritchard, Sonny Bill Williams, Simon Mannering (capt), Frank-Paul Nu'uausala, Sam Kasiano, Ben Matulino, Elijah Taylor, Sam Moa, Alex Glenn.

[TITAN PETE]

By Luke Phillips
AAP
3:27am Fri 22nd November, 2013


Rangi Chase has been replaced by Gareth Widdop in the halves for England.
England have dropped Rangi Chase for Saturday's Rugby League World Cup semi-final against his native New Zealand at London's Wembley Stadium, while star winger Manu Vatuvei misses out for the defending champion Kiwis.

"As with every week, the squad is picked with not only the opposition in mind but the best combinations for ourselves," England coach Steve McNamara said on Thursday.

Five-eighth Chase, the 2011 Super League player of the season, had started all four previous matches of England's World Cup campaign but ceded his spot to Melbourne Storm's Gareth Widdop, who will play for St George Illawarra in the NRL next season.

Widdop, who overcame a hip injury to make England's squad, has only made two starts so far and both were in his original position of fullback.

Reigning champions New Zealand knocked England out of the last World Cup in 2008, at the same semi-final stage, with a 32-22 victory in Brisbane before going on to record a shock win over Australia in the final.

"We have had a great week with our preparation and the players are ready to take on the world champions in what I believe is the biggest game we have been involved in since the Rugby League World Cup semi-final back in 2008," said McNamara.

"The players are well aware of the importance of the game and the improvements we have to make from our previous matches to give ourselves every chance of beating New Zealand.

"We will have to be at our best to win, but we'll relish the pressure of playing against a quality team on one of the biggest stages in world sport."

Jason Nightingale is in line to fill Vatuvei's boots on the wing, with unheralded 20-year-old Roger Tuivasa-Sheck having nailed down the other starting berth after scoring six tries in four appearances so far.

"I am the youngest in the camp and there are a lot of guys here that have so much experience for me to use to get better. Each day I just make sure that I am talking to them and picking up on anything that I can," Tuivasa-Sheck said.

"Manu Vatuvei is someone that I really look up to and in training and in the matches we feed off each others' ability, it is just so surreal that I'm playing with guys like him because he was my idol growing up."

The winger added: "Playing England will definitely be a huge challenge, throughout the course of the tournament they have been scoring well.

"Some of their players are very experienced, so the young players have a figure to look up to which is very important if you want to succeed. Overall I am very excited to play them."

Squads (with two to be dropped for the match-day 17)

New Zealand: Jesse Bromwich, Kieran Foran, Alex Glenn, Bryson Goodwin, Shaun Johnson, Sam Kasiano, Kevin Locke, Issac Luke, Simon Mannering (capt), Ben Matulino, Sam Moa, Jason Nightingale, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Frank Pritchard, Elijah Taylor, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dean Whare, Sonny Bill Williams

England: Carl Ablett, George Burgess, Sam Burgess, Rob Burrow, Josh Charnley, Leroy Cudjoe, Liam Farrell, Brett Ferres, James Graham, Ryan Hall, Chris Hill, Lee Mossop, Sean O'Loughlin, James Roby, Kevin Sinfield (capt), Sam Tomkins, Kallum Watkins, Ben Westwood, Gareth Widdop

[TITAN PETE]

The Poms have turned up to play , good game

[TITAN PETE]

Wow what a try....here come the Kiwi's 8-6 Poms

[TITAN PETE]

All England at halftime but @ 8 all they would be a little disappointed with the scoreline..

Great game

[Tartmaster]

What a finish!

England must be absolutely gutted, they really didn't deserve to lose that game. Were much better on the night.