England expect testing time

England began preparations for their opening tour game against the New Zealand Maori expecting a ferocious clash of Test match intensity.

The squad left the hotel at 11am local time for their first, light training session after arriving in Wellington and all players participated, including the likes of winger James Simpson-Daniel whose fitness was touch and go before departure.

The heavy duty stuff begins tomorrow and the 22-man England party will leave for New Plymouth, a 50-minute flight north of Wellington, on Sunday evening having prepared to face the Maori in the same way as any Test match.

“I watched the game they played against Tonga and they are a tremendous team. They have brilliant players and I’m sure they will step up the intensity even more for Monday night’s match,” said Woodward.

“We are delighted to have taken on this fixture. It is going to be like a Test match. They have Test match players out there, tremendous players like Christian Cullen and Taine Randell. We are treating it as a Test match in terms of intensity. In terms of the way both teams approach it it will be just like it.”

England arrived in New Zealand with a 37-man squad, 15 of whom will remain in Wellington in preparation for the clash with the All Blacks at the Westpac Stadium next Saturday.

But Woodward stressed that just because he had already decided prized assets like Johnny Wilkinson will not travel did not mean his eye was off the ball going into face the Maori. It could not afford to be. After all, on their last visit to New Zealand, admittedly with a vastly weakened squad in 1998, England were thumped 62-14 by a Maori side that included current France international Tony Marsh, plus All Blacks Tony Brown and Kees Meeuws.

The game was one of 24 consecutive victories the side, formed as New Zealand Natives in 1888, enjoyed between 1994 and 2001, including wins over 12 international teams.

Australia have been stretched twice in the last two years and Tonga were beaten comfortably on Monday despite the Maori turning in a rusty performance.

They feel a pride in their black jersey to match any national team and coach Matt Te Pou believes their quality is deserving of Test status.

His position has been backed by former All Black skipper Norm Hewitt and even Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O’Neill, though both have admitted official Test recognition was unlikely as the Maori are not New Zealand’s national XV.

“We are very clear how we approach all these things,” said Woodward.

“We go game by game. That’s what you have got to do. The next game is the Maori game and I’m not saying we have not thought about the Test match, because I know who is going to New Plymouth, but you have got to prepare that way.

“We will prepare the same way we prepared against Ireland and the other sides.

“You are playing the best teams in the world and some of the outstanding players in the world. If you don’t prepare properly you are going to get smashed.

“They are a very quick and powerful team. (Captain) Taine Randell we have got a lot of respect for – we like him a lot. They have got brilliant players.”