Street previews New Zealand clash

Street and his 26-player squad are settling into their first few days of training in New Zealand ahead of Saturday’s first test.

The first game is being played at Eden Park as a warm-up game for the Super Round game the Blues and the Chiefs, with the women’s test being shown live on Sky in the UK and in New Zealand.

England’s last win on New Zealand soil came in 2001 – though they have played one series there since then in 2005 – but Street believes this particular series represents a massive opportunity just a year out from the World Cup.

“Playing New Zealand in New Zealand is a massive challenge for all of us but it’s a huge opportunity for us as a group. The last England win was in 2001 down there. If we want to find out where we are before the World Cup these are the kind of tests you need. We have been fortunate to have had them over to us for two series in the past two years and in the spirit of fairness we are going to play down there and we are looking forward to it.”

The game has a few extra points of significance – it’s New Zealand’s first home test since 2007 and as well as that the game marks the1000thwomen’s rugbytest game.  Street adds that he believes there will be plenty of interest.

“The New Zealand public don’t get a chance to see their own team play very often at home and I think the recent publicity for women’s rugby and their success at the World Cup Sevens hopefully means the crowds should be good and that will make it even more special. I know that New Zealand have been working hard over the last 12 months. They have some new caps and they have brought back some experienced heads like Victoria Grant as well. We will need to step our game up again.”

In terms of recent results, England certainly hold the edge. In six test since their loss to New Zealand in the 2010 World Cup final, England have won five and drawn one.

“In the past there was a huge fear factor playing New Zealand,” Street said.

“They hadn’t been beaten in a long time and they are the World Champions but we have had some good wins over the last few years. They are a fantastic side but we don’t fear them and that is the message we are going down there with. Let’s go to their own backyard and try and get some good performances and some good results and that would put us in good stead going into a World Cup year. That is what drives us on and that was the driving force for the last six games against them. The World Cup is obviously massive for us and that is our focus over the next season.”

Street’s squad was hampered at the last minute the withdrawals of Heather Fisher, Alice Richardson and Jo Watmore, who picked up injuries at the World Cup Sevens in Moscow, where England finished a disappointing sixth.  There are though, eight other players who are in New Zealand having coming out of the Sevens season with England, and Street believes that there’s plenty to motivate that group.

“The World Cup was disappointing, there is no getting away from that. The big thing that these players have got coming back from Moscow and going to New Zealand is that it’s a chance to get back on the horse really quickly. The first game is live on Sky in the UK and New Zealand in Eden Park and there isn’t a bigger driver of motivation than that. I have said to them that we cannot take all the pain away from the World Cup but what we can do is make it a whole lot better if we perform next week. That is a good driver for them.”

England’s head coach can also see real positives in the overall Sevens experience those players have been through for his 15s programme in the year ahead.

“The overall programme that those girls have been on has been really good and robust and the girls have developed really well. For whatever reason they didn’t perform to their potential in Moscow on that weekend but we have a group of very fit, strong and athletic group of players who have come on individually and as a group and we have to harness all the best bits of what they have done over six months and put them back into our 15s programme over the next 12 months.”

“The bulk of that squad will be involved in our World Cup preparation and we have got to make sure we get that right. We will take a lot of lessons from these games in New Zealand and we plan the rest of our season from that.”

Street was speaking to the RFU.com podcast