KICKING KING DALY DREAMING OF GLORY
ELLIOT DALY went to sleep last night dreaming of kicking the Lions to glory in New Zealand. The English winger is fabled for his powerful left foot and he is able to hit penalties from inside his own half. The Lions may need that expertise today at Eden Park — and when asked yesterday if he would step up to take a long-range kick to win the match, Daly was adamant he would. ‘I would love that opportunity,’ he said. ‘It would be amazing. I have not visualised it but I will dream about it now. ‘If that comes my way I will be more than happy to give it a go and back myself in that situation.’ Daly has been kicking these goals since he was a boy. When he was a pupil at Whitgift School he won the Daily Mail Cup in 2011, hitting a huge penalty from his own half in the final at Twickenham. ‘It’s been one of those things I’ve kind of always done,’ he added. ‘I’ve never been the first-choice kicker but I’ve always wanted to be first choice so I’ve been practising my whole life, really. ‘It’s just one of those things that, if given the opportunity, I want to try and take it if I can.’ Kicking coach Neil Jenkins has been stunned by his power. ‘He’s scary,’ the Welshman said. ‘He’s got a cannon attached to his hip. I punt with him in the warm-up before the game and it is going 50 metres when he taps the ball. It’s a bit worrying, to be honest! ‘He was kicking on Saturday and they were flying past at 55 metres and he wasn’t even letting go. ‘His goal-kicking is the same. I’ve no doubt he’ll be a big weapon going forward for England and Wasps. ‘He’s an outstanding rugby player as well — very intelligent and quick. A class player.’