Darren Lockyer dreads Four Nations defeat in his last Rugby League game
While talking to reporters in the pre-match press conference on Saturday, November 19, Darren Lockyer expressed fear of losing the Gillette Four Nations Final, like last year against New Zealand.
The final showdown will showcase England and Australia in a tough tussle for the prestigious Four Nations title of 2011 at Elland Road in Leeds.
Gillette Four Nations’ organisers confirmed that the final venue reached its full capacity of 34,000 spectators by Thursday, when two days were still remaining for the final clash. However, the public demand for more tickets was so high that the series’
organisers had to arrange for the release of 500 extra tickets on early Thursday morning. With that chunk all sold-out in a matter of a few hours, there is a growing waiting list of those who may not be able to make it for the live audience of the Four Nations
Final.
The stadium will be filled to its maximum capacity, which may bring more pressure down on either side. Australia have been tagged as series’ favourites since the beginning of the campaign. Meanwhile, England have improved on their game during the length
of the campaign. Both sides are now comparable in their on-field strength.
With the pressure of final building up, both sides are experiencing fear and anxiety. Similarly, the Australian captain, who will be playing his last game on Saturday expressed his thoughts and said, "Every game you fear failure. We're just preparing as
well as we can to give it our best performance and the outcome looks after itself. You've got to be prepared for defeat, it's a chance of happening."
Australian skipper implied that they should only prepare to deliver their best and keep in mind that losing can be an option because there is only one winner of every clash. Winning is determined only by how well a team plays on that particular day.
Australia are fearing a defeat at this berth because last year they lost to New Zealand in Brisbane for the same title. Moreover, this year’s venue, Elland Road, is a reminder of their defeat in 2005.
Kangaroos have an obvious advantage over Red Roses in form of a 36-20 win against the same opponents almost two weeks ago at Wembley. This win may build up pressure on the opposition. However, they cannot rely on those results alone because England have
also come a long way from that point.
It is very difficult to speculate, which side is going to win the series because either side is equally hungry for the title. The winners will retain the honour until 2014, when Four Nations will be played again, after the Rugby League World Cup.
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