‘Every game’s a must-win’
The first test defeat to England would have come as a reality check to the Kiwis squad, although some would have felt it more than others.
Last month against Australia, centre Joseph Manu and hooker Brandon Smith barely put a foot wrong as they both enjoyed dream debuts in front of family and friends in Auckland.
Their first assignment away from home was a different story and a stark reminder of just how difficult tour life can be.
Manu was among the best on the field against the Kangaroos but struggled to get into the game against England and finished with two handling errors.
Smith was held to a mainly defensive role in his 50 minutes on the park, making 33 tackles with only three runs for 42 metres.
pair took a big step forward last month as they engineered the upset win over the Kangaroos.
The first-test loss to England showed the partnership is still a work in progress but Nikorima, who will earn his 12th cap on Monday, is relishing the freedom in attack they have been given by coach Michael Maguire.
‘‘We haven’t played that many games [together] but the fact we’re roommates now helps a little bit, getting to know each other’s personalities,’’ Nikorima said. ‘‘I’m a bit of a clown and he’s the more serious one so it’s good to have that balance.
The Kiwis have enjoyed one-off victories in England in recent years, such as at the 2013 World Cup and 2016 Four Nations.
But series triumphs have proven notoriously tough to come by, the last being in 1998, which Manu and Smith have quickly discovered.
‘‘Coming over I knew it wasn’t going to be easy,’’ Manu said. ‘‘There are a few things I need to work on defensively, but we’ve got two more games and I’m looking forward to the next two weeks. It was a good, tough learning curve.’’
Smith was unfazed by the pressure surrounding the clash.
‘‘Everyone was asking me if it is a must-win game . . . every game’s a must-win game,’’ the Melbourne Storm dummy-half said. ‘‘There’s not really a game you go out and think it’s all right if we lose this one.’’
‘‘In terms of the team, if you look back at the World Cup we sort of just stuck to our sides instead of now where we are both roaming. The more we can connect together the better we will go as a team.’’
Meanwhile, England prop James Graham has taken over the captaincy after lock Sean O’Loughlin was ruled out due to a calf injury.
St Helens forward Luke Thompson is poised to replace O’Loughlin in the pack while Castleford’s Adam Milner has been drafted into the 19-man squad.
The Kiwis team will be named today.