Steve McCormack is hoping to find a way of producing a result that can help both his international teams when the English head coach of the Scotland national team watches his side defend its unbeaten record at Workington tomorrow night.
His players have already taken huge credit from their performances as the team making up the numbers against rugby league’s three most powerful nations in its Four Nations tournament, having the better of world champions Australia in a 42 minute spell either side of half-time in their opening match in Hull, then leading hosts England until four minutes before half-time at Coventry last weekend.
The way they have twice raised their game after being caught cold by the pace of the Kangaroos’ play in the opening exchanges, then in taking their turn to shock an England team that was looking for a big win during the first half hour of that match, has already ensured that they can take the field for this final match with heads held high.
Their big target, however, in the fifth running of this tournament, was to be the first of the minnows to win a match and if they could do that against New Zealand it would also pretty much ensure England a place in the final.
The match is being played at a ground for which they already have considerable affection after claiming a thrilling win over Tonga and even more dramatic draw with Italy on their way to the World Cup quarter-finals in 2013, before returning there the following year to kick start their successful European Championship bid which in turn qualified them for this crack at the very best in the sport.
However McCormack, who is a popular figure in West Cumbria having enjoyed a successful spell coaching Whitehaven, reckons locals will be doubly behind his side.
“It is kind of like a second home for us in a way,” McCormack said.
“There are a lot of proud Englishmen in West Cumbria so they will want the Kiwis to get beat and I think our history in that area has been good for both parties.
“I am sure there will be a lot of Englishmen supporting us Scots on Friday night. It will be a fantastic atmosphere. The Cumbrian people will pack that ground out because they will want to see Scotland do well, no doubt.”
They will also have to endure typical Scottish winter conditions, albeit wild weather is no stranger to the Cumbrian coast in November either, but it has been sufficiently severe to force the Scots into a change of plans, holding their final training run at their tournament base in Preston before travelling because Workington’s Derwent Park is being protected.
The Scots have a marginally better idea of what to expect this time around after first ever meetings with their previous two opponents, because they faced the Kiwis in the World Cup quarter-final at Headingley. Admittedly, knowing what they are up against does not necessarily mean they can do anything about it, but McCormack expressed full confidence in his men.
“New Zealand are a very talented all over the field,” he said, identifying Shaun Johnson, their biggest play-maker as the biggest individual threat.
“They were particularly good in the second-half against Australia so we have had a look at them in some detail but we have been focusing on making sure we are prepared more than anything and we have got some really talented players ourselves.
“Danny Brough has been outstanding, Danny Addy fills into the stand-off role easily and Lachlan Coote has shown glimpses of why he is talked about as being world class star. It should be a really entertaining game.”
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