Steve Deane: Rebuilt England formidable foe

The Kiwis will be up against a much stronger England team than the one who capitulated against Australia last week for tomorrow morning's Four Nations final qualifier.

England coach Tony Smith has reacted decisively to the shambles that unfolded in the first 30 minutes at Wigan, dumping all three players responsible for the lamentable right-sided defensive collapse.

The most notable axing is that of Danny McGuire, a player feted as the saviour of the English game when he burst on to the scene a few years ago.

A fantastic support player with an electric turn of pace, McGuire regularly topped Super League's try-scoring charts and has been in a key figure in four Rhinos championship seasons. But he never really made the step up to the international game and was badly exposed by the Kangaroos last week.

His replacement, young St Helens star Kyle Eastmond, looks a much more dangerous customer. Eastmond will start at halfback, with Super League's young player of the year Sam Tomkins shifting to five-eighth.

McGuire the saviour may have been a myth but there is no doubting Tomkins and Eastmond represent England's real future.

Rookie wing Tom Briscoe and makeshift centre Lee Smith were also axed, replaced by Hull KR's Peter Fox and Warrington's Chris Bridge.

Had it not been for an attitude problem and several late night incidents that ended with police charges, the fast, evasive Bridge would have been an England fixture long before now.

All in all, it is an English backline that could thrive if their forwards can match a Kiwis pack that has so far looked the class act of the tournament.

The introduction of Kieran Foran for Steve Matai gives an already youthful Kiwis line-up an even greener tinge. Foran is an undoubted talent and will likely be a fixture in the team for years to come. His favoured position is five-eighth, but the Kiwis believe he has the skill set to play anywhere in the backline and at loose forward.

That said, Foran's selection ahead of Krisnan Inu is an interesting call.

Inu is a quality player and has some experience on the big stage, but he clearly doesn't have the confidence of coach Stephen Kearney.

At the 2008 World Cup, when Matai again went down injured, Kearney shifted Simon Mannering from the second row to centre rather than select Inu. Given this is the second time the Eel's talent has been snubbed in favour of a makeshift option, it's hard to see where his international future lies.

Kiwis fans will hope Kearney has made the right call and he will hope his side can repeat the effort they produced against the Kangaroos. Nothing short of that will be good enough to beat an England side picked on talent and form rather than reputation. This should be the game of the tournament.