True enough, but it's been a while since we had a back line that inexperienced.

But it has also been a while since we had a back line with this much pace. I think we will do well on saturday and maybe win, hope daz plays, he thoroughly deserves it after this season.

The team has been named.
[urlhttp://www.englandrl.co.uk/article.php?id=19911[/url

That is quite a big pack, the backs is my concern though

Not a bad side IMO.

I think England will do well.

Big error leaving out Crabtree IMO, can change a game

Congratulations to Darrell Goulding - how he has proved his critics wrong.

Surprised that Crabtree wasn't included. The Aussies/Kiwis seem to struggle to deal with him for some reason.

I wasn't too impressed with his seemingly random offloads at the weekend, combined with Griffin having a good game I can understand this move, even though I probably would have given Crabtree another shot while he was so good in the last four nations and they struggle a lot with his size.

Can't agree. While I think Crabtree has had a poor season i felt he played well last week. He is suited to International football. Those seemingly random offloads lead to clean breaks and tries.

He is a game breaker and not picking him for me is a very negative tactic in a team that only seems able to attack in broken field plays.

I'm not confident. We should be able to match them up front, but the threequarter matchups worry me. If we can keep it tight in the middle, and hope for midfield breaks from Roby, Tomkins & Robinson, we might have a chance.

Bookies have Kiwis by 16, which I fear is about right.

The one big advantage we'll have is the superb playing strip:



I really like it, for some reason...

Griffin for Crabtree will have put big smalls on the Kiwi's faces.

Its realism.

They have a far better all round side and will dominate on home soil.

Two of our three tries last week had a Crabtree offload in them.

?

I can't believe Crabtree is not playing! Well done to Goulding who has been superb! He came into super league as a centre and was pretty poor, the things he did at reserve level did not work for him in super league. Since the switch to wing against the Wire in game 3 he has looked like a different player this year.

So you reckon "30+ points by half time. We've no chance" is realism rather than pessimism?

There's no way we'll be down by 30 at half time to NZ, it's the typical nonsense we hear all the time from England "fans".

England 24 NZ 36 (in Australia)
NZ 32 England 22 (in Australia)
England 20 NZ 12 (in England)

There's our last 3 results, but you're telling me that being down 30+ points at half time is the realistic approach?

Give over with the white flag stuff, we're not French.

So you think Griffin is better than crabtree

I would have gone with Griffin and Crabtree off the bench! Think we will struggle pushing Westwood up!

Still think we are light in the backs. Not sure Shenton and Atkins are good enough! Briscoe doesnt offer enough going forward and Goulding may be isolated without a dominant centre inside him!

Where did I say half time?

I said half time, and it was tongue-in-cheek.

Realistically though, I just can't see us winning on Saturday. And I genuinely believe our squad now is worse than those 3 results you gave above, and in 2 of the games we were 2 scores adrift.

If I was a betting man, I'd be putting money on a NZ win byt more than 12 points, but I desperately want the team to prove me wrong.

I think the result largely depends on whether our forwards in the first 10 minutes will give us a platform that our backs can build on. If the Kiwis get a good start, it might turn into the riot some people are predicting.

Also, if we start well it will give the less experienced members of our team some confidence to play as they have been doing in SL.

you know the stat im looking at in that team line up???

3 starters and 1 on bench fron WIGAN ST PATS











which shows we have home grown talent in wigan if we look hard enough

You watch Wigan alot more than me, but how many we're easy finishes? The reason I ask this is because Gleeson is great at giving great ball out to his winger? Hardly going to go 50-60 metre's is he? I love how Wigan have brought the young lad's i.e Tomkins x 2, Mossop and Farrell who are all belters through the system, but Goulding smacks of Ade Gardner. Great centre = Improved numbers. Although I accpet he is very good defensively from what's i've seen.

That's about it more me, as harsh as that sounds on Goulding. I think Gleeson deserved to go as much if not more than Goulding and think it's a big mistake that he's not there.

Those with HD access note the game is now Live on the BBC HD Channel as well as BBC ONE.