KEY POINTS:
England have been stung by savage homeland criticism of their 52-4 drubbing by Australia, the outcry sure to fire them up against New Zealand this weekend in Newcastle.
The result is all-but meaningless because both teams will proceed to the semifinals the following weekend, unless Papua New Guinea
beats Australia.
There may be some psychological advantage in winning the last pool game.
Certainly both coaches have been playing mind games by refusing to indicate whether they will use their top sides or whether they will rest players from this game so they are fresh to give their all in the knock-out to decide who meets the Kangaroos in the final in Brisbane on November 22. Teams are to be named today.
The Kiwis will not use Sika Manu, who has an eye injury, but Benji Marshall has declared himself fit after withdrawing from the second half of the big win over the Kumuls with a hamstring problem. That was just a precaution, team management said.
England are likely to be without St Helens prop Maurie Fa'asavalu, who is thought to have broken a bone in his hand during the defeat to Australia. The 28-year-old Samoan is having scans to determine the damage.
Also carrying injury and likely to be rested are Jon Wilkin, who has a facial injury, and five-eighth Leon Pryce, who received badly bruised ribs against the Kangaroos.
Leeds half Danny McGuire is the likely replacement if Pryce can't front. "If he's fine we will play him, England coach Tony Smith said yesterday.
Pryce has started the tournament slowly, as have his much-vaunted teammates.
"We would love him in great form and hopefully he can find that form really soon," Smith said.
"He probably hasn't had the best of the last few games but I am sure with a bit of confidence he will get back on top. He's very determined to get back to his best."
England made 321 tackles to the Aussies' 228 in Melbourne on Sunday and missed 45 to the Kangaroos' 29. The score may be wider than the 30-6 Australia achieved over the Kiwis but at times the English looked more threatening than New Zealand did.
There is the suspicion that the Kiwis do not have the talent to threaten Australia at this World Cup and that they may struggle to beat England. Certainly PNG's coach Adrian Lam, whose Kumuls have played both, rated the English as better than the Kiwis.
England were beaten by repeat quick plays at the weekend. Once Billy Slater and Greg Inglis cut loose in the last tackles of their sets England were steadily back-pedalling and couldn't hold their line.
But the Kiwis do not have props as good as Adrian Morley and Jamie Peacock, whose reputations rest on a revival. Play-makers Rob Burrow, Kevin Sinfield and fullback Paul Wellens, plus either Pryce or McGuire, are smarter in the key positions than their Kiwis opposites. The only hope the New Zealanders have of line breaks is via Marshall or Krisnan Inu and Steve Matai at centre, where they do have some advantage over their opposites.
