Kiwis In England - Oh, We Have A Test Against England This Weekend (Pre Squads Being Named)
Lost amongst the fluff of a Rugby World Cup, and yeah, whatever - rightfully so, is the first Test of the Kiwis' tour of England. The sporting overlords have been nice though as the the first Test is scheduled for Monday morning NZT, which is fabulous as our body clocks are already tuned for early mornings and it'll be a day after the RWC final. Everything is laid out to enjoy some quality international rugby league.
England have been edging forward in recent years, buoyed by a greater playing presence in the NRL and we can't forget that their coach Steve McNamara is an assistant to Trent Robinson at the Roosters. McNamara's experience gained at the Chooks looks to be rubbing off on England Rugby League, especially little funky tips that Robinson has become renowned for...
My love for this Kiwis squad and the abundance of talent within it, isn't quite matched by my love for what I imagine England's team will be. I still love the combinations and players that McNamara has at his disposal though and there's a few tricky selection calls for McNamara to make with the fullback position the trickiest as Sam Tomkins is battling injury and let's be fair - he hasn't been great this season. Zak Hardaker has emerged as a young fullback prospect and there's a serious chance that Hardaker could keep Tomkins on ice, or force Tomkins to play in the halves.
Just like the Kiwis, England have options thanks to having quality and quantity in terms of talent. Ryan Hall is a great English winger, while the other likely winger Joe Burgess will join the Roosters next season. Kallum Watkins and Leroy Cudjoe are international-calibre centres, Matty Smith was excellent at halfback in the Four Nations last year while Gareth Widdop, Tom Burgess, James Graham and Mike Cooper go alright as well. Throw in a dummy half rotation that is arguably as good as the Kiwis' with Josh Hodgon and James Roby both worthy of a starting jersey and you've got a gumbo pot of rugby league tastiness.
Last weekend England touched up France (who now apparently suck at sport) while the Kiwis struggled their way to a win over Leeds in a match that oozed good vibes. The only real area of concern from this tour match was the lack of a dominant half who can pin an opponent deep in their own territory and land a grubber or aerial kick on a dime - as expected.
Tuimoala Lolohea and Peta Hiku were rolled out as the halves pairing for the game against Leeds and I have no reason as to why Kearney would change this. It makes sense to give Lolohea and Hiku a game together to iron a few things out - this was a tour/warm up game after all, however the lack of a classy kicking game has little to do with the combination between the two halves. I'm not overly concerned by this as the Kiwis' strength is making metres, busting tackles and squeezing as many offloads out as possible.
Kodi Nikorima was excellent off the bench for the Kiwis at dummy half and I expect him to do this role again in the first Test. This is precisely what Nikorima did all season long at the Broncos (cue Kearney as the Broncos' assistant coach) so why would you give Nikorima a different job to do now? Having Issac Luke and Nikorima alternating, or even playing alongside each other, suits the Kiwis power game perfectly and it's going to be awesome to watch Luke/Nikorima and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck hanging around Jesse Bromwich and Ben Matulino, waiting for an offload or a quick play the ball.
Adam Blair and Jordan Kahu are under injury clouds, which is kinda a concern. Blair offers the experience and he will be crucial in locking down the middle of the field (and offloading), especially as this Kiwis forward pack does lack a rugged/no-nonsense worker in the middle. I would much rather see Blair in the 17 for Monday and the same can be said about Kahu who showcased his skill against Leeds. We've heard for a while now that Kahu is a young player with plenty of potential and he added a few silky touches to go with his ice-cold nature which has me losing my mind - Kahu was one of my favourite players this season and he's only going to new heights so far on tour.
Having Hiku in the halves opens up a centre spot for Kahu, which is also why I like Hiku in the halves. Here's my gamble at a Kiwis team for game one: Tuivasa-Sheck, Nightingale, Whare, Kahu, Kenny-Dowall, Hiku, Lolohea, Bromwich, Luke, Matulino, Proctor, Harris, Taupau ... Nikorima, Taukeiaho, Moa, Blair/Liu.
I'll try conjure something up once the teams have been named so keep your eyes peeled over the weekend, but I think I have whipped myself into a frenzy with excitement. International rugby league gets me going and watching the Kiwis only enhances that feeling, while England add some spice as well as they won't be easy beats. I like this England squad and I like how they have developed under McNamara's tenure as coach which sets up what will be a tough Test match with some razzle dazzle in their as well.