Buoyed Kiwis get back to business

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 build-up 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’ve got great experience through their forward pack and have people like Sean O’Loughlin and James Graham, who have played 50 test matches individually,’’ New Zealand assistant coach Ben Gardiner said.

‘‘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.’’

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.

With the chilly conditions and vocal home crowds, it is a difficult place to play but the coaching staff has been impressed with the squad’s focus since arriving via a short stopover in Dubai.

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.