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McClaren tells England stars to follow rugby heroes lead
MOSCOW, (AFP) - England's football stars have been told to look to the country's rugby heroes for inspiration as they prepare to go into battle with Russia in a crunch Euro 2008 qualifier here on Wednesday.
Steve McClaren's squad have been hit hard by the loss of first choice defenders John Terry and Ashley Cole to injury.
But the head coach believes those losses will not be a problem if the rest of his squad can muster the same spirit and determination shown by rugby's defending world champions in overcoming Australia and France to reach the final of the World Cup.
England will book their place at Euro 2008 if they win on Wednesday and McClaren said: "We need the type of performance the England rugby team has produced over the last two weekends. That is the kind of spirit the English players have.
"The history of English sporting teams and individuals says you should never give up, have a never-say-die spirit.
"When their backs are against the wall, they come out fighting - and they come out on top.
"Despite the criticism or whatever may be thrown at them, they still stand up, are ready to be counted and deliver when necessary.
"That is exactly the same as the last two rugby matches. We have all been inspired by that - myself, my players and my staff. That is what we need."
The combination of the injuries to Terry and Cole, potentially difficult weather conditions and an unfamiliar artificial surface may have made England's task on Wednesday evening slightly more difficult.
But McClaren believes Russia will have a greater burden to cope with simply because Guus Hiddink's men know they are likely to miss out on next year's finals unless they beat a team to whom they lost 3-0 at Wembley last month.
"They have to win," he said. "They have to take risks. They are at home. They have to set the tempo. The first 20 minutes of any game is important. I have always stressed that. I am sure they will be emphasising that.
"We will have to withstand that early storm. We need to get the balance right. We are coming here to win. That means we have to score. We have to get the balance right and not defend for 90 minutes. I don't intend to do that."
England go into the match on the back of five consecutive 3-0 wins in group E and McClaren underlined the self-belief that run has generated among his group of players.
"We have found a blend and a balance that the players are comfortable with," he said.
"I have great respect for Russia. Despite the scoreline at Wembley, there were times in that match when they dominated.
"But it is not a case of looking at Russia - it is a case of what we do. They must be looking at us after Wembley and thinking, 'how are we going to stop that?' It is all about how we play and how we approach the game."
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