Euphoric Kiwis get back to business as tough English side awaits

With the euphoria of the upset win over Australia well behind them, the Kiwis are ready to get back to business when they kick off the three-test tour against England.

While much of the buildup in this part of the world has been overshadowed by news around the respective club futures of opposing coaches Michael Maguire and Wayne Bennett, tomorrow’s first test in Hull shapes as an intriguing battle.

Kiwis boss Maguire has had the luxury of selecting the same 17 players who stunned the Kangaroos two weeks ago, a significant boost as his new-look squad continues to gel.

Injury has robbed England of key trio Sam Burgess, Gareth Widdop and Ryan Hall. But with the likes of James Graham, Sean O’loughlin, Josh Hodgson and Jermaine Mcgillvary, to name a few, they have no shortage of experience and strike power.

England have developed into a formidable unit since Bennett took charge in 2016. They were unlucky to lose last year’s World Cup final to Australia and will be desperate to take another step up.

The Kiwis expect nothing less. ‘‘They’re a side that has played a lot of footy together, so we’ve worked on looking at their combinations in the team we expect to come out on the paddock,’’ New Zealand assistant coach Ben Gardiner said.

The Kiwis last toured England in 2015, when they suffered a 2-1 series defeat. And while they did win the 2005 Tri-nations in the UK, the last time they tasted a series victory over England or Great Britain on foreign soil was in 1998.

England won the last meeting between the sides during the controversial Denver test in June, when they eased to a 36-18 win in Maguire’s first test in charge.

But this is a completely different Kiwis side, boosted by the return of Shaun Johnson, Jesse Bromwich, Adam Blair and Jordan Rapana, as well as the emergence of boom rookies Joseph Manu and Brandon Smith.

And while the Denver experience would have provided a handy insight into England’s style of play, much like they did against Australia, the Kiwis are instead focusing on themselves.

‘‘They’re a side that will have a lot of cohesion, but there are areas where we can target,’’ Gardiner said.

‘‘We think we do know what they’ll bring and how they’ll play. It will be a simple style like us, but at the end of the day it’s about what we bring and what we build on from the test against Australia.’’