FORMER rugby league star Jason Robinson has blamed poor preparation for England’s elimination from the World Cup.

England’s World Cup campaign ended as it started with an inept defensive performance, as they lost 32-22 to New Zealand in Saturday’s semi-final in Brisbane.

Tony Smith’s side conceded a staggering 142 points in their four matches Down Under – and Robinson believes poor preparation did England few favours.

He said: "It is all a matter of preparation – when I played for England at rugby union we had the Six Nations, a summer tour and the autumn internationals to mould a side and get used to playing in a pressure environment.

"Mental toughness is as important as physical toughness and England failed in that department."

Robinson, who play for Hunslet and Wigan and represented Great Britain and England prior to switching codes, continued: "Australia have the State of Origin series to help them reach that intensity on top of the ultra- competitive NRL, where most of the New Zealand Test side play. England have a warm-up against Wales, which was a total non-event – and then just 10 days to prepare for their opening game. That is no way to build for a World Cup in Australia. If we are serious about international rugby league, there has to be a way to give England more games in the course of a season before they face an internat- ional programme in the autumn."

"Why not make use of the quality overseas players in the Super League and form a Rest of the World side, including the likes of Brent Webb and Steve Menzies, to play England?

"Two weeks need to be taken out of the Super League season for such a game to be fitted in, if we are serious about improving the fortunes of our national side.

"You would have to overcome the inbuilt selfishness of the Super League clubs to do that - but the nettle has to be grasped."

The Leeds-born 34-year-old added: "The best solution would be for England to play Australia or New Zealand on a yearly basis in mid-season to go along with a match against France, who at the moment cannot provide England with the necessary competition."

Meanwhile, Australia second row forward Craig Fitzgibbon admits the Kangaroos are driven by the fear of failure as they prepare to take on New Zealand in the World Cup final on Saturday.

The Aussies go into the showdown at Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium as overwhelming favourites to retain their crown after cruising through the early stages. But Fitzgibbon knows from experience not to under- estimate the Kiwis, who stunned the Kangaroos in the 2005 Tri-Nations Series final with a 24-0 triumph that turned the sport upside down.

The 31-year-old Sydney Roosters veteran is one of four Australian survivors from that match at Elland Road and he says the scars have yet to heal. "It’s a big deal. I was part of that 2005 Tri-Nations team that was beaten. Certainly it will never be forgotten if we go out at the weekend and don’t play well."

"It’s a big task, New Zealand have gradually improved throughout the tournament.

"I think everybody here has not lost the importance of taking part in this game, we certainly we want to do our colours proud."

Australia have held the World Cup since 1972 and Fitzgibbon admits the level of expectation is weighing heavily on the shoulders of the defending champions.

"Every time you play for Australia, you’re defending something," he said. "Obviously you have that stigma. You don’t want to be the team that loses.

"We did in ’05 and it hurt a lot. They didn’t let us forget it in a hurry and we don’t want to be that team again.

"Every time you play in the green and gold there is a standard that you have to uphold. The players that have played over the last 100 years for Australia have set that standard and they’ve set it really bloody high.

"We’ve got to be on our toes and go out there and give it our best shot."

Australia coach Ricky Stuart today named an unchanged team for the final, although winger Brent Tate remains a doubt after damaging a hip flexor muscle in last Sunday’s 52-0 semi-final win over Fiji.

The Warriors threequarter went for scans today and will be given until the day of the match to prove his fitness.

Australia captain Darren Lockyer also sat out today’s visit to a school ravaged by Queensland’s worst storms for more than 20 years after waking up this morning with a sore throat but he is not thought to be in any doubt.