Tindall - England are ready

Gloucester centre excited at the beginning of Martin Johnson era

Last updated: 12th June 2008

Mike Tindall England training

Tindall: Excited by the appointment of Martin Johnson

I would expect us to be very competitive. We feel we have the squad here that can go out and win

England centre Mike Tindall
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Mike Tindall believes England's young side is prepared for the "baptism of fire" of taking on New Zealand in their own backyard.

The Gloucester centre, 29, is one of the more senior players in the squad that will take on the All Blacks in the first Test at Eden Park, live on Sky Sports.

With so many key players missing the tour at the end of a long hard season, England tour manager Rob Andrew has gone with youth, including handing London Irish winger Topsy Ojo a debut.

While his team-mates may be stepping out into the unknown, Tindall knows what it takes to beat the All Blacks having been part of the 2003 team that triumphed in Wellington.

Smashed

"I don't enjoy playing in New Zealand unless we win," he said. "It will be a baptism of fire for some of the younger players but you need that sometimes.

"I don't think there is much you can really say to prepare the players for that. They get the feel for what it is about down here when they go out.

"When you go around, everyone knows you are here to play the All Blacks. There will be someone in every coffee shop who will say something about how we are going to get smashed.

"That gets people's heads straight right from the start. You can't pamper people. They have to throw their mind, body and soul into it and see what we get out the back of it."

England will be hoping history doesn't repeat itself in 2008 after their last tour to New Zealand four years ago saw an exhausted squad well beaten in both Tests.

However, Tindall is confident that the rising stars of the English game can come of age this time around thanks to the fact they are better prepared.

Competitive

"I would expect us to be very competitive. We feel we have the squad here that can go out and win," he said.

"Unlike 2004 we have a massive bonus because they have picked some of the best players on form.

"We have a team that can attack and a team that can go out there and compete. You want to have that feeling.

"I look through the forward pack, we have ball carriers, players who can win one-on-ones and in the back line we have creativity with Charlie Hodgson and Olly Barkley.

"We are better prepared."

The game will be Tindall's first since suffering a punctured lung and lacerated liver against Wales at Twickenham in February.

Fresh start

A broken leg also kept him out of last year's World Cup, but he is excited about being part of the new Martin Johnson era.

"This is a fresh start for us," Tindall added. "It's a completely different era, a completely different team.

"We have changed a little bit how we will play and with new players coming in we have to find our cohesiveness - but it has gone well so far.

"The All Blacks are trying to shake off that World Cup and come back as the force they were before. And we've lost a lot of players since the World Cup final.

"Both teams are making fresh starts and hopefully both teams will go out and try and play some rugby."

Comments

Alister Rogers says...

I fully agree with Mike Tindall, we should have gone with these youngsters in the 6 nations and started the new era then. Its about time we started blooding the new generation of England players ready for the next world cup.

Posted 09:11 12th June 2008

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