It was at a “sausage sizzle” at the Brisbane Broncos leagues club yesterday that Adrian Morley was persistently asked by an Australian television reporter what he thought of the sausages. The veteran England forward just about suppressed his laughter in one of the few lighter moments on what has been dubbed a World Cup “tour from hell” but which may be about to change.

There have been reports this week of England players forgoing their monastic lifestyle by having a night out, even smiling and enjoying themselves at training. A few wives and families have also been spotted in the vicinity of the team's hotel, which points to a more relaxed build-up to tomorrow's semi-final against New Zealand at the Suncorp Stadium than in the previous lockdown three weeks.

An air of fear about the England squad has been transmitted to their performances - a fear of failure and a reluctance to do what comes naturally at home to players who have resembled car-crash dummies. Some of the defending in an annihilation by Australia and abject surrender to the Kiwis in the final pool game last Saturday bordered on the ridiculous, a decent kicking game has been virtually non-existent and last-tackle plays mostly a lottery.

If it takes a lighter mood to secure the win that would go some way to salvaging England's battered reputation, the more sausage wisecracks the better. “Sometimes it's hard to get your head round what's gone wrong and you lose sight of what's important,” Jon Wilkin, the St Helens forward, said. “Not a lot's needed changing. We've been doing some strange things in games. Panic comes from anxiety about results and the criticism you can get, but I've no doubt we can turn this around.”

England simply dare not fail against opponents with the psychological advantage after last week's 36-24 win but whose brittleness was underlined by a runaway start that lulled Tony Smith's side into a false sense of security. The consequences of a third successive defeat, unprecedented in the nation's World Cup history, would be highly damaging not only for the coach and a raft of players who have flattered to deceive, but also for the RFL's funding and sponsorship position in terms of the national team.

Nothing of the sideshow over the appointment of a fourth Australian referee, Shayne Hayne, to take charge of England in the tournament, Isaac Luke's dive for the penalty that gave the Kiwis the lead at 26-24 last week and Smith's inaccurate naming of a team on Wednesday to appease the organisers should deflect from the onus on England to deliver what they are capable of over a sustained 80 minutes, not just in scattergun bursts.

The players will face the New Zealand haka rather than go into a huddle, for which they were accused of showing disrespect in Newcastle, and with James Graham reinforcing the pack after being rested last

week and Danny McGuire ready to reprise his Leeds Rhinos half-back combination with Rob Burrow, in the likely absence of Leon Pryce with a rib injury, Smith is trusting that the team will click.

“Some of our players probably haven't shown as much as they can produce and we're looking forward to them doing that,” Smith, who has received a volley of criticism here and at home, said. “Those who lose faith, I'm glad they're not in my team. The team hasn't lost faith. If that's the attitude of some people, I'm sure it'll make it sweeter when things go well for us.”

New Zealand: L Hohaia; S Perrett, S Mannering, J Ropati, M Vatuvei; B Marshall, N Fien; N Cayless (captain), T Leuluai, A Blair, S Manu, D Fa'alogo, J Smith. Interchange: I Luke, G Eastwood, B Harrison, S Rapira.

England (possible): P Wellens; M Calderwood, M Gleeson, K Senior, L Smith; D McGuire, RBurrow; A Morley, J Roby, J Peacock (captain), G Ellis, J Jones-Buchanan, R Purdham. Interchange (from): M Higham, BWestwood, J Graham, J Wilkin, G Hock, K Sinfield.

Referee: S Hayne (Australia).

Television: Live on Sky Sports 2 from 8.30am tomorrow (kick-off 8.55am).