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BRISBANE - Prop Sam Rapira is looking for more than a spot in the rugby league World Cup final when the Kiwis take on England in Brisbane tomorrow night - he also wants payback.
The 17-strong Kiwi squad contains seven survivors from last year's ill-fated end-of-year tour and Rapira, who will begin the semifinal as a substitute, is one of the team.
Twelve months ago, New Zealand were rolled 3-0 by Great Britain and coach Gary Kemble later resigned after skipper Roy Asotasi, who hasn't made the World Cup because of injury, publicly questioned his ability.
Rapira played in all three tests, the first two off the bench and the last as a starting frontrower, and he hasn't forgotten the experience.
He said the victory over England, effectively Great Britain under another name, in Newcastle last weekend had boosted the Kiwis.
However, that match, which he sat out, was a dead rubber, with both sides headed for a semifinal showdown anyway.
"It was good, but this is the game that's going to pay them back," he said.
"We didn't have the best tour last year and this weekend is going to make up for it if we come away with a win. This is the game the boys are looking forward to. It's going to be a good one."
With the Kiwis into the sixth week of their cup campaign, which began with two build-up matches in New Zealand, Rapira said the workload on players had been light this week.
However, each session had been sharp and intense, and there was a different mood in the camp heading into a sudden-death encounter.
"All the boys are that much more pumped," he said.
"Both teams are going to come out firing, but we just have to get on top early and keep on top of them."
The Kiwis' slow start against England in Newcastle, where they were down 24-8 after just 30 minutes, had been been talked about and little changes had been made in training to try to address that.
"I think it's just a mental thing," Rapira said.
"The boys aren't trying not to start hard, but it's just the way things happen. It's up to us to have a strong first run or a big first tackle. We just have to give that little extra bit."
Still only 21, Rapira made his first-grade debut for the New Zealand Warriors in 2006 and has been earmarked as newly-retired Ruben Wiki's replacement as a frontline prop at the club.
With nine caps in a two-year international career, he was looking forward to locking horns again with the likes of England opposites Jamie Peacock and Adrian Morley.
"They're a couple of blokes I looked up to as a young player and it pumps me up a bit more," he said.
"They're at the top, which is where I want to be. For me, I just have to aim as high and try to come out on top of them."
- NZPA
