All-Blacks captain set to face England

ZTN Sports Reporter

NEW Zealand head coach Steve Hansen has indicated that his captain Kieran Read will be fit to face England.

The All-Blacks are favourites when they face England in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup in Japan, but need all their stars.

Kieran had missed training on Tuesday ahead of Saturday’s showdown.

“There’s no issue,” Hansen was quoted by the BBC.

“We just weren’t prepared to put him on a wet track today.”

The All-Blacks have already lived up to their reputation from the pool matches and quarter-finals.

That they beat another favourite, South Africa in the first game, goes to show their pedigree.

“England would say they can tuck the ball up their jersey and do that game and they’ll say that they can run it. We can match it with our forward pack.

“It’s our job to do something different. You practise it, implement it. If it works you’re a superstar and if it doesn’t you’re an idiot,” Hansen is quoted as saying.