Tuivasa-Sheck reveals English defence ‘stressed’ Kiwis

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck says England’s defence put New Zealand under too much pressure in the third Test and they couldn’t take their opportunities in attack when they came.

The livewire Kiwi full-back scored one try in the 20-16 defeat on Saturday and almost had a hand in several others.

The men in black staged a late fightback but England held them out in dramatic circumstances to register a four-point victory.

Tuivasa-Sheck was again a standout for New Zealand but couldn’t stop England getting the win in Wigan and taking the series 2-1.

“I think this game was similar to the first and the second, the middles were just pounding each other and us backs were waiting for the opportunities,” the former Sydney Rooster said.

“We got the opportunities but we didn’t ice them.

“England jumped on top of theirs and scored their three tries and we lost the game.

“We did have a lot of ball and opportunities to finish it but England were good on their defence and they played like we played in game two, they just defended, defended the whole game and stressed out the whole team.

“I think we started to get a little bit stressed and it just didn’t happen for us.”

Tuivasa-Sheck was almost through for a try in the second half when Kodi Nikorima put him through the line with a perfect pass.

“I was hoping I was going to score,” the 22-year old said.

“Once I got past Zak the fullback I’d be through but Widdop got me from behind.

“I wish I’d scored there it would have been a different story.”

The New Zealand Warriors-bound outside back also thought he had prevented Sean O’Loughin from grounding the ball in th second half, but the video referee awarded the try.

“I thought I got him locked up there, but it’s all different viewing but with different angles on the TV,” he said.

“I thought I did enough to hold him up but they didn’t see it that way.”

Tuivasa-Sheck tried to find a match-winning try in the final seconds of the game, with the clock running out, but he couldn’t conjure up a magic score.

“So many things were going through my head at that moment,” he said.

“I tried to throw the long ball to see what the boys were doing, but England’s defence was up.

“I was just struck trying to drop maybe Nightingale back under to head back to the middle but. It just didn’t work this time and we didn’t have the magic [Jonathan] Thurston in our team.”

Tuivasa-Sheck said he has enjoyed New Zealand’s tour of the UK, despite the series loss.

“I’ve loved it,” he said.

“Coming over, travelling around with a good bunch of boys here and experiencing a different side of life here.”