PEACOCK We’re ready to put out Kiwis’ fires

JAKE CONNOR will be centre of attention when he steps out against New Zealand on his home ground of Hull today.

Both Connor and coach Wayne Bennett see the 24-year-old’s longterm future at stand-off, but he will start the opening Test in the three-quarters.

He forms part of a new-look backline missing injured stars Kallum Watkins and Ryan Hall, and with only Jermaine Mcgillvary remaining from the side that lost the World Cup final to Australia in agonising circumstances in December.

Bennett also hands a debut to Wigan centre

Oliver Gildart, with Sam

Tomkins returning to the England fold for the first time in four years at scrum-half.

For Connor, it means the utility tag that has followed him around his whole career will continue for now,

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The voice of rugby league IT’S a new-look England side that faces New Zealand today – and one I’m excited to see go head-to-head with one of the world’s best teams.

It’s almost a completely new backline from the team that played Australia in the World Cup final in December, and there are some top-class players missing.

But that has given others the opportunity to step up from Super League to international level, and this game reminds me of a Chinese proverb that says “Real gold does not fear the test of fire”.

We’ll find out plenty about the new faces come kick-off, and from what I’ve seen in training, they’re ready for the fire the Kiwis will bring.

I like the look of

George Williams and

Sam Tomkins in the halves, and it will be really interesting to see how Jake Connor and debutant Oliver Gildart (above) perform in the threequarters.

For New Zealand, their centre Joseph Manu has been dangerous with ball in hand all year for Sydney Roosters, and every English supporter knows Shaun Johnson can be electric. But we’re confident and the players have trained as well as they possibly could.

We’ll need to handle their big pack, but every England player knows what it means to represent the shirt and we can edge a close opening Test.