THE Australian Kangaroos touched down in the United Kingdom earlier this week and are taking their time to get acclimatised to the different conditions.
North Queensland Cowboys, Maroons and Kangaroos five-eighth Johnathan Thurston spoke to NRL Media during the Australian sides first training session on English soil as the team prepare for their World Cup campaign.
By the weekend we should be looking to pick our standards up and making sure training is a lot more intense than what it was today and keep building on that through the week, Thurston said.
One of the main obstacles is getting used to the United Kingdoms notoriously fickle weather where wet conditions are considered the norm.
A lot of the boys have been there before and played in these conditions (and) we have a the right footwear and know what its like and in the next few weeks they definitely enjoy it, but its just about adapting to the conditions.
Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens said his plan was to get his side to ease into the campaign with many of his players coming off the back of a long season.
Lots of travel, lots of sore backs, (its been a) long, long season for many of them again we just have to be careful we make sure we build it up and not peak too early, Sheens said.
This week, the mentor said he would be an interested spectator at the England v Italy warm-up match with the Kangaroos to play the hosts on the opening day of the tournament.
The full video interview with Thurston and Sheens can be viewed at the NRL website: www.nrl.com
A full list of 2013 Rugby League World Cup fixtures can be found on the tournament website: http://www.rlwc2013.com/world_cup
