KEY POINTS:
NANTES - England coach Brian Ashton and his Samoa counterpart Michael Jones are convinced their sides can put their World Cup aberrations behind them in Saturday's Pool A meeting in Nantes.
England were humiliated 36-0 by South Africa while Samoa lost 19-15 to Pacific rivals Tonga and realistically both need a win on Saturday to maintain an interest in the competition.
"I would probably go so far to say that the South Africa game was the worst performance by an English team in a World Cup, so we are both in the same boat from that point of view," said Ashton.
"There has been a lot of clarity of thought in our approach to the game this week. Given what we've been through these past few days a win is an absolute must, but a better performance is an absolute must as well."
Ashton has a completely new-look backline from the South Africa game as he seeks the balance and invention that has been so sorely absent so far and says he has encouraged the players to have belief in what they plan to do.
"There has been more intensity and attention to detail this week because of the nature of what this game means," he said. "I am confident the players will go out there and put things right on Saturday."
Captain Martin Corry agreed that concentrating on their own game was key for England, something that did not happen when Samoa ran the eventual world champions close at the same stage four years ago.
"That was a day where we went away from our game plan," said Corry. "We went away from our discipline of how we wanted to play the game. That played into Samoa's hands."
Samoa coach Jones was still brooding over the Tonga display when he got a feel of the La Beaujoire stadium on Friday.
"It was a very painful experience for us to mess up on the biggest stage in the world," he said. "We have beaten them in the seven years before but I'd rather have lost those matches and won this one.
"We've let our people down and we know that but the great thing is we have a chance to make it right. It's added a bit more resolve. If it takes losing to Tonga to beat England, we'll take that."
Jones said his players could look to 2003 as an inspiration, not least as a reminder that they have to play for the full 80 minutes to have any chance.
"The difference between now and then is that was an England team that was cruising along and weren't expecting anything from us," said the former All Black flanker. "This is a desperate England team with their backs against the wall.
"They are going to come out so focused and determined and we are what's standing in their way of the quarter-final. There are two desperate teams out their tomorrow but we have to look to have a go at them and attack them."
- REUTERS
