New Zealand pays respect to English side for their strong performance - Rugby
While talking to reporters on Tuesday, October 25, Kiwis captain Benji Marshall, acknowledged that their side is well aware of the challenges they will face once they take on England. He also lauded the English for their strong recent performance.
New Zealand has a murky track record on English soil, which dates back to 2007 with three straight defeats under their belt, Kiwis appear not too keen on meeting them in opposition.
The situation continued with another embarrasment, in 2009, as another loss against the same opponents which had kept Kiwis from treading into the final showdown of the Gillette Four Nations.
While talking about the quality of players, the Kiwi coach said, "You just look at the quality of the players in every team and there are players who excite you. England will be very dangerous. They're really growing as a side and have a lot of strike power
in their backs."
The coaches indication was specifically made for powerhouse duo, Gareth Ellis and Chris Heighington, whose presence alone added a great deal to the overall vigour and mood of the game. The English squad is star studded with the Man-of the –Steel title winner,
who is well known for his on field brilliance and is an essential asset for the English side.
Marshall’s view point about the strong English side was seconded by the Kiwis coach, Stephen Kearney, who shared, "The side England has put together is probably the strongest I have seen for quite some time. We are more concerned about preparing well and
doing all we can to ensure we perform the best we can each week."
While mentioning the kind of danger the Kiwis see against the English side, the coach also mentioned his current top most priorities, which they see in the form of Australians.
New Zealand will meet Kangaroos in the inaugural match against Australia on Friday, in hopes of turning over their very recent embarrassing performance which ended in a 42-6 defeat against Australia in Newcastle a week ago.
The coach also explained that that the recent defeats were hard on the Kiwis as this low performance was not what they had been expecting of themselves. However, despite the embarrassment, the only good thing that their side had gained through their losses,
is that the team has started to gel together.
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