England told to be wary of Lebanon

ENGLAND’S players have been told to treat facing Lebanon as though they were facing Australia.

Wayne Bennett’s men will have the crowd against them when they face the Cedars tonight in Sydney, home to a huge Lebanese community.

And even though Lebanon only have a smattering of NRL talent, they have been told to approach the game as if they are taking on the Kangaroos.

“Every game is a mental test,” said assistant coach Denis Betts.

“We’re in a tournament and it doesn’t matter who we’re playing.

“We’re giving out caps tomorrow and Wayne has drilled that home – you’re playing for your country in a Test match.

“The players know that. To go forward, we’ve got to look after ourselves and the players have been told what’s expected of them.

“Lebanon are an international side with some quality players and they’ve a massive following in this part of the world.

“If anything, this is a bigger game for them so what we’ve got to do is make sure what we bring is better than them, starting with our enthusiasm and intensity.”

Alex Walmsley will play after recovering from a virus but Sam Burgess will miss out after injuring his knee, though Betts left open the possibility of him returning to face France in the final group game.

“He’s looking really good. He’s been around at training all week and worked really hard,” Betts said.

“Sam likes to prove people wrong when you give him a number.

“We’re not setting a definite target, we just take it week by week. It’s hard to do that with Sam as he wants to play.

“If he feels he’s ready to play, it’s up to the physios and coaches then.”