Rugby League: We're ready now claims Endacott

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LONDON - Kiwi coach Frank Endacott was unfazed by the draw for the rugby league World Cup announced yesterday which seeds New Zealand to play Australia in the final.

England are seeded to meet the Kiwis on November 18 at Bolton where New Zealand scored a record 36-16 victory over the Brits in 1998 to take an unbeatable 2-0 series lead.

Their group two games are against Lebanon at Gloucester on October 29, the Cook Islands at Reading on November 2 and then Wales at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on November 5.

They will play the group three runners up - either France, Papua New Guinea, Tonga or South Africa- in the quarter-finals.

"It will be a feather in our cap to reach the final but winning the World Cup is an achievement we are all after," Endacott said.

The draw for the tournament was made at a press conference in London yesterday and Endacott said the Kiwis had been preparing for the event for the past four years.

"We were just a coat of paint away from making the 1995 final when Matthew Ridge missed a sideline conversion and then narrowly missed a dropped goal in the semifinal against Australia."

The scores were 20-all at full time before Australia won in extra time.

"We have done a lot of work preparing for this tournament," he said.

"We know exactly how tough it will be. We need to win all our games and open the tournament on a confident and impressive note," Endacott said.

Australia, who have won every World Cup since 1954, are the hot favourites.

"We're not frightened of them, though. We have confidence in our camp, we're a side full of confidence. The squad believes in themselves."

Australia in group one are drawn against England, Fiji and Russia.

The New Zealand Maori side play Scotland at Glasgow on October 29, Samoa at Workington on November 1 and group four hosts Ireland at Dublin on November 4.

Five countries - England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and France - will host the month-long 31-game tournament, with the final set down at Old Trafford in Manchester on November 25.

Endacott said he would name his World Cup squad around the time of the NRL grand final in Sydney.

- NZPA