England Head Coach Shaun Wane spoke to the press earlier this week, as England look to bounce back in the Second ABK Beer Ashes Test at Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium on Saturday.
Wane’s men have the opportunity to level the series in the city of Liverpool, but understand that a tough task lies ahead, and that plenty of hard work is required:
“They [Australia] didn’t see anywhere near the best of us, which is something we have to fix this week,” Wane said, as he gave his account of the opening Test at Wembley Stadium.
“We did some good things, but just not enough. It hurts badly because we'd looked forward to this test for a very long time and we just didn’t turn up.
“I don’t think it was a real test match. They were too good and worthy winners. We really didn’t challenge them, which was the most disappointing thing.
“But the beauty of having a series like this is that we have a chance to go again and put things right.
“We’ll challenge them in more areas this week and we’ll end our sets better, hopefully. The knock-on effect from doing that is huge. We just put ourselves under so much pressure.”
Wane also revealed that he anticipates making a couple of changes to his side for the second test, but believe his chosen 17 will be able to get the job done:
“It’s a really good 24-man squad we’ve got, and everyone is available for selection this week.
“I’ll make a few changes. We’ll look at what we need to do and we’re going to make sure that the team is going to be a lot more equipped.
“I want a team to go out on Saturday, and I want it to look like a proper test match, and we need to give a better account of ourselves.
“Whether it’s two to four changes, I’m not sure yet.
“We made three to four line-breaks at Wembley and didn’t score, whereas Australia were ruthless when they made a line break and did score. That can change this week.
“You know what international rugby league is like. I’ve got some really good players in my team, so it could be really different this week, but we need to be better in so many areas.
“The players know they unperformed. We had a lot of experience out there, but the players were nervous. We’ve wanted this series for a long time.
“Hopefully you’ll see a different team this Saturday."
Bramley-Moore Dock eagerly awaits the Rugby League Ashes, with the city getting its first taste of international rugby league since England’s 2018 test-match series against New Zealand.
And Wane is excited for Everton's upcoming spectacle:
“The love for our sport in Liverpool is huge. I’m glad we’ve got this on at Everton Stadium because the love for rugby league there is huge.
“We’ve played a test match in Liverpool before and that went great, so this will be no different. The fact we have this on in Merseyside is fantastic.”
Can England set things right and make it 1-1 in Test Two? Wane's side will need your backing!
Will you be bringing the noise in Saturday's sell-out crowd?
The ABK Beer Ashes Series continues on Saturday 1 November as the Second Test heads to Everton’s Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool (K.O. 2:30pm).
It’s a complete sell-out, and Shaun Wane’s men need you now more than ever as England look to level the series!
The match will also be available to watch live on BBC One, with information on overseas coverage available here.
