They face England first up on Sunday in a match which will define their tournament, then take on Australia seven days later. Whether he likes it or not, Johnson is fundamental to New Zealand success. "We'll be trying to lay a good platform for guys like Shaun to do their thing," said Kiwis forward Jason Taumalolo. England also have the twin factors of new coach Wayne Bennett and restored leader Sam Burgess, after his rugby experiment. The Kiwis' clash with England kicks off at 2.30am Sunday (NZT).

Source: New Zealand Herald October 27, 2016 16:04 UTC