England v New Zealand - Teams

Coach keeps selection cards close to his chest

Last updated: 14th November 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

England v New Zealand - Teams

Smith: Mind games

Not knowing the team, everyone wants to try to get in the team and it's been showing in training.

Mark Calderwood
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Tony Smith's tactics of not revealing his starting 13 have left the England players "buzzing" according to winger Mark Calderwood.

Smith is thought to be playing mind games ahead of the Suncorp Stadium clash with New Zealand after naming a 19-man squad that included injury doubts Paul Wellens and Leon Pryce and excluded Ade Gardner and Danny McGuire.

And Calderwood revealed Smith - who is not expected to reveal his team until an hour before kick-off - put the side through their final training run Down Under without giving any confirmation of his line-up.

"Certainly there's been a big buzz around training this week," said Calderwood. "Not knowing the team, everyone wants to try to get in the team and it's been showing in training.

"It keeps everybody on their toes. You know you need to perform in training - it's probably going to come down to training - there's 24 players after 17 jerseys."

Calderwood was in the side beaten by both Australia and New Zealand and could once more go up against man mountain Manu Vatuvei, who scored four tries in last Saturday's 36-24 win in Newcastle.

Cat-and-mouse

Second rower Ben Westwood, who played mostly as a makeshift prop on his World Cup debut against the Kiwis, is another man hoping to have done enough to keep his place.

"I'm not too sure at the minute, he hasn't named the team yet," said Westwood. "He usually does.

"I don't quite know what's happening. I think there's a few injuries he wants to check on and he's leaving it as late as possible before he announces his team.

"Training has been going well and hopefully I'm still in with a chance."

Smith's cat-and-mouse tactics are unlikely to fool Kiwis coach Stephen Kearney, who believes the siege mentality of the opposition could work in England's favour.

"I think, if anything, it helps galvanise their side," Kearney said.

"With the characters that they have in their group, I know what we're going to get tomorrow - (Adrian) Morley, (Jamie) Peacock, (Keith) Senior and they've got some wonderful talent coming through.

"I'm very clear about what we're up against."

The hype surrounding the semi-final clash has increased after the Kiwis accused England of not doing enough to promote the last four clash.

England boss Smith, has not given any interviews to the British media since Tuesday and both opposing coach Kearney and skipper Nathan Cayless have expressed their surprise at the closed-door policy.

Kiwi criticism

"I'm in no position to say what the English should do but it's a semi-final of a World Cup and we all have a duty to do the best for our game," said Kearney.

Cayless added: "I think we do have a responsibility as players to promote the game tomorrow night.

"Obviously we want to see a sell-out or as close to a sell-out as we can. I suppose the more access you get to the players, the more interest there will be in the game.

"But England have got their own set routines, that's the way they do it."

Kearney named his starting line-up on Thursday with Thomas Leuluai switched from scrum-half to hooker to accommodate Nathan Fien.

Fien will partner Benji Marshall in the half-backs, while Cayless, winger Sam Perrett, front row forward Sam Rapira and second rower Sika Manu - who has overcome an eye injury - all return after sitting out the pool victory.

Simon Mannering, who plays his rugby for the Warriors in the second row, is included at centre in place of the injured Steve Matai.

England: TBC

New Zealand: Lance Hohaia (NZ Warriors), Sam Perrett (Sydney Roosters), Simon Mannering (NZ Warriors), Jerome Ropati (NZ Warriors), Manu Vatuvei (NZ Warriors); Benji Marshall (Wests Tigers), Nathan Fien (NZ Warriors); Nathan Cayless (Parramatta, capt), Thomas Leuluai (Wigan), Adam Blair (Melbourne), Sika Manu (Melbourne), David Fa'alogo (South Sydney), Jeremy Smith (Melbourne)
Replacements: Issac Luke (South Sydney), Greg Eastwood (Brisbane), Bronson Harrison (Wests Tigers), Sam Rapira (NZ Warriors)