England coach Steve McNamara has named an unchanged 19-man squad for Sunday’s opening match of the 2015 International Series against New Zealand at Hull’s KC Stadium (kick off 5.00pm GMT).
England defeated France 84-4 in last week’s international at Leigh Sports Village running in 15 tries in a record victory against the French.
England’s last victory against New Zealand was in 2011 at the KC Stadium when a 28-6 victory secured the team’s place in the Four Nations Final. Six players – James Graham, Ryan Hall, Sean O’Loughlin, James Roby, Ben Westwood and Gareth Widdop – are the only members of the 2015 squad to have ever tasted success against the Kiwis.
“We have named the same 19 as last week,” said England coach McNamara.
“The squad is looking forward to the first match of the international series against New Zealand.
“We've set ourselves up to perform well in the four internationals that we've got and the French result, last week, was a good reflection of the way the team prepared and practised in the two weeks prior to it.
“We did well, there's areas for improvement, of course, and we'll come under much more pressure and intensity this week. It's about being able to perform to the same level even though the pressure is on. We're looking forward to that challenge.
“As for New Zealand, we saw some of the real strengths they possess against Leeds Rhinos last Friday. As the game wore on, their combinations improved and their world-class players really shone.
“It's great for us to be playing in Hull. This place is one of the heartbeats of Rugby League, with very passionate fans and two Super League teams in the city. When all of those things come together to support the team, it's very special. Every time we've played in Hull as an international team the players have always commented on the tremendous support that they've received, and how passionate everybody is. We've had some great experiences here, and hopefully Sunday will prove to be another one.”
England 19-man squad to face New Zealand is as follows (professional club and community club in brackets):
John Bateman (Wigan Warriors, Bradford Dudley Hill)
Joe Burgess (Wigan Warriors, Ince Rose Bridge)
Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs, Dewsbury Moor)
Mike Cooper (St George Illawarra Dragons, Latchford Albion)
Leroy Cudjoe (Huddersfield Giants, Newsome Pnthers)
Liam Farrell (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
Brett Ferres (Huddersfield Giants, Smawthorne Panthers)
James Graham (Canterbury Bankstown Bulldogs, Blackbrook)
Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos, Oulton Raiders)
Zak Hardaker (Leeds Rhinos, Featherstone Lions)
Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves, New Spring Lions)
Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders, East Hull)
Sean O’Loughlin, captain (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
James Roby (St Helens, Blackbrook)
Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos, Latchford Albion)
Ben Westwood (Warrington Wolves, Normanton Knights)
Elliott Whitehead (Catalans Dragons, West Bowling)
Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra Dragons, King Cross)
George Williams (Wigan Warriors, Wigan St Patricks)
NEW ZEALAND SQUAD
1 Roger Tuivasa-Sheck
2 Jason Nightingale
3 Jordan Kahu
4 Dean Whare
5 Shaun Kenny-Dowall
6 Peta Hiku
7 Tuimoala Lolohea
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Issac Luke
10 Sam Moa
11 Kevin Proctor
12 Tohu Harris
13 Adam Blair
14 Kodi Nikorima
15 Martin Taupau
16 Ben Matulino
17 Sio Siua Takeiaho
18 Alex Glenn
19 Lewis Brown
Rugby League fans around the world will be able to follow all the drama and action from the England v New Zealand International Series thanks to agreements reached between The RFL, Pitch International and a host of international broadcasters.
The three-game series, which starts on Sunday November 1, will see England take on New Zealand in games all over the UK, including a showpiece fixture at The Stadium at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London.
The RFL and Pitch International have reached agreement with the following international broadcast partners:
New Zealand
Sky NZ will show the Series exclusively live.
Australia
Fox Australia will show the Series exclusively live on Fox Sports.
