Luke is ready to rise to the test
Townsend challenge
GALE: Best yet to come LUKE GALE claims England will thrive on the pressure of suddendeath competition.
Wayne Bennett’s men have shown mixed form in their three World Cup group games against Australia, Lebanon and France. But it is the do-or-die quarter-final stage now and England need to cut out the errors and show more flashes of brilliance.
It is a challenge that scrum-half Gale believes the team will meet against Papua New Guinea in Melbourne on Sunday. “The boys are ready for this sort of test,” he said. “It brings out the best in you, sudden-death football. Everything’s on the line and I think you’ll see an improved England performance this week.”
Sam Burgess returns to the starting line-up after missing two games with a knee injury and Gale said: “He’s a great player and an important character in camp as well. We’ve missed him in training.
“In Sam’s first session back he nearly killed Kev Brown. Sam wanted to test himself and he was taking it to the next level.”
Brown forms a half-back partnership with Gale for the second week running, with Gareth Widdop again moving to full-back to cover for the injured Jonny Lomax.
It is a combination that Gale feels “worked really well” in the 36-6 win over France, adding: “Kev plays with real good structure and talks great, and Gaz was outstanding at full-back – he’s an extra half.
“Everything went smooth, our plays went well and we scored some great tries early on. We got lost a bit in the second half with too many errors but, overall, I was happy with how it went.
“Papua New Guinea have been outstanding so far. They’ve been good to watch and they’re a physical side, so we’re expecting a big challenge.” REPORTS ENGLAND will send out what is probably the fastest back three in their history tomorrow intending to leave scorch marks across Twickenham.
With Mike Brown counted out through concussion, England yesterday named a full-back and wing combination to face Australia that rivals any in the world for pace.
A trio of Anthony Watson at full-back plus Elliot Daly and the restored Jonny May out wide brings with it an element of the unknown. It will be Watson’s first start for England at No15
LEICESTER’S – where he plays
former Lions for Bath – after 27 outings on the forward Tom Croft, 32, wing. But it also has been forced to carries with it retire on medical huge promise. grounds after seeking
England coach advice concerning a Eddie Jones said: neck injury. “It is a great opportunity for Anthony. He’s a hard worker, he’s got pace and I thought he was one of the best players on the Lions tour. Anthony will fill the job superbly. He’s like a Maserati, an absolute flyer.
“Jonny will be the fastest winger on the field and any opportunities he gets, he’ll turn into points. We’ve got to rise to
Replacements: George, Marler, Williams, Itoje, Simmonds, Care, Slade, Rokoduguni.
AUSTRALIA:
Beale; Koroibete, Kuridrani, Kerevi, Hodge; Foley, Genia; Sio, Polota-Nau, Kepu, Simmons, Coleman, Hanigan, Hooper, McMahon. Replacements: Moore, Robertson, Alaalatoa, Philip, McCalman, Timani, Phipps, Hunt, Speight (one to be omitted).
GREGOR TOWNSEND accepts Scotland will have to be at their best if they are to defeat New Zealand at Murrayfield tomorrow. Scotland are yet to beat the All Blacks in 112 years, but head coach Townsend, who won 82 caps for his country, believes they can be vulnerable. “Teams have shown they can put New Zealand under pressure, the Lions showed that,” he said. “We understand how difficult it will be but there have been examples of areas where New Zealand haven’t been perfect.
“But if you let them play and give them easy ball to attack off, you will concede tries.”
Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, meanwhile, has gambled by making 13 changes to his starting line-up for the Test against Fiji in Dublin tomorrow.