Kiwis Coach David Kidwell has brought back nearly one hundred Tests of experience for Saturday’s Rugby League World Cup clash against Tonga in Hamilton.
After sitting out the Kiwis 74-6 victory over Scotland, veterans Thomas Leuluai returns to the number 9 jersey while Simon Mannering slots in at 11.
Jordan Rapana will start on the right wing, while Dallin Watene-Zelezniak gets his first ever chance to play in front of his home crowd, partnering with club team mate Dean Whare on the left wing and centre respectively.
Kodi Nikorima will join Shaun Johnson in the halves with Te Maire Martin named in 19.
Isaac Liu is the only change to the bench, which continues to look to Russell Packer, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Danny Levi to add a further spark during the match.
NEW ZEALAND v TONGA WAIKATO STADIUM, HAMILTON 11 NOVEMBER 2017
KIWI NO. JERSEY NO. NAME TEST APPEARANCES 779 1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK 14 794 2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK 4 776 3 DEAN WHARE 17 803 4 BRAD TAKAIRANGI 2 798 5 JORDAN RAPANA 6 793 6 KODI NIKORIMA 6 774 7 SHAUN JOHNSON 23 785 8 MARTIN TAUPAU 18 704 9 THOMAS LEULUAI 39 755 10 JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES 21 731 11 SIMON MANNERING 43 800 12 JOSEPH TAPINE 4 732 13 ADAM BLAIR 43 804 14 NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA 2 768 15 RUSSELL PACKER 5 805 16 ISAAC LIU 1 806 17 DANNY LEVI 2 796 18 KENNY BROMWICH 3 802 19 TE MAIRE MARTIN 2 770 20 ELIJAH TAYLOR 11 781 21 PETA HIKU 10
The Kiwis enjoyed a beautiful week of summer in Christchurch and topped it off with a comprehensive win over the Scots. The conditions were as far from their previous encounter during the 2016 Four Nations as they could have been. The sun was shining, the ground was in excellent condition and the home fans were loud and proud.
New Zealand and Tonga will battle it out for top spot in Pool B and the opportunity to avoid a semi-final clash with Australia.
In what equated to the New Zealand version of Super Saturday, the Kiwis demolished Scotland 74-6 at Christchurch Stadium and then watched as Tonga overcame Samoa 32-18.
The Kiwis and Mate Ma’a are both undefeated and will meet next Saturday at Waikato Stadium in one of the most eagerly awaited matches of the tournament, with the winner set to play the third-placed team from Pool A in the quarter-finals.
That team is now likely to be Lebanon after the Cedars went down to England 29-10 at Sydney Football Stadium in the later match on Saturday night.
Match Report: Shaun Johnson has become New Zealand’s leading Test point-scorer as the Kiwis’ ran riot in a 74-6 rout of Scotland at Christchurch Stadium on Saturday afternoon.
The Kiwis amassed a staggering 14 tries as they blew Scotland away in a performance that will leave the rest of the competition weary of having to encounter a side now beaming with confidence.
The three tries to both Peta Hiku and Te Maire Martin will hold prominence at the top of the scoreboard, but it was the clinical, across-the-park showing of the entire team which stood out.
It was a 28-point shut-out in the opening 40 minutes and after the break the free-flowing and ad-lib football continued as New Zealand took advantage of the glorious conditions and dry track.
Johnson scored 22 points from a try and nine goals, adding to his 14-point haul in the 38-8 victory over Samoa, giving him an incredible 36 already for the tournament.
The 27-year-old took his Test points tally to 175 in his 23 Test/World Cup appearances, passing Matthew Ridge’s mark of 168 points.
The Kiwis had 196 total runs compared to Scotland’s 84. A total of 2079 run metres to the Bravehearts’ 636. And 31 offloads to the Scot’s six. It was a complete overpowering.
Right from the start the Kiwis showed they weren’t afraid to throw the ball around and their efforts were rewarded with three tries in the first 15 minutes.
By halftime, their 70 percent share of possession had helped them to half-a-dozen tries – including a Jason Nightingale double – and the lead had extended to 28-0.
New Zealand’s approach was personified by Nelson Asofa-Solomona, who threw a casual flick-pass after bumping off several Scottish defenders to set-up Martin for the Kiwis’ fifth try of the day.
Russell Packer scored his first try in a Kiwis jersey three minutes after the break as New Zealand moved to a 34-0 lead. Joseph Tapine was at the forefront of New Zealand’s destructive forward-pack who simply monstered Scotland out of the game.
Tries to Martin and Hiku – their second each of the day – along with one by Dean Whare propelled the margin out to 52 points midway through the second half, as New Zealand showed-off their depth and potential dominance to the rest of the competition.
Fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck picked up the man-of-the-match award and sits just one try short of claiming the Kiwis’ all-time World Cup try-scoring record, which he shares with New Zealand legend Lesley Vainikolo on nine.
The win leaves New Zealand ready to take on Tonga next week in what is being billed as one of the matches of the tournament to played in New Zealand, while Scotland will be icing their wounds after a damaging afternoon.
New Zealand Kiwis 74 (Martin 3, Hiku 3, Nightingale 2, Whare, Johnson, Taylor, Bromwich, Tapine, Packer tries; Johnson 9 goals) Scotland Bravehearts 6 (Thomas try; Addy goal). Half-time: New Zealand Kiwis 28 led Scotland Bravehearts 0. Crowd:12,130
Max McKinney | @MaxMckinney Rugby League World Cup 2017 Correspondent
Shaun Johnson will have a new halves partner for Saturday night’s Rugby League World Cup clash against Scotland with Te Maire Martin to wear the number 6 jersey in just his second Test.
Jason Nightingale, Peta Hiku and Dean Whare all get starts in a reshaped backline while Addin Fonua-Blake is set to earn his first Kiwis cap coming off the bench. Kenny Bromwich is fit and rearing to go in the back row. Elijah Taylor will start at hooker, rounding out the seven changes to the side that beat Samoa 38-8 at Mt Smart.
Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Russell Packer and Danny Levi will again provide spark off the bench.
Thomas Leuluai and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak are 18th and 19th men respectively, Simon Mannering and Jordan Rapana are 20 and 21.
NEW ZEALAND v SCOTLAND CHRISTCHURCH STADIUM 4 NOVEMBER 2017 KIWI NO. JERSEY NO. NAME TEST APPEARANCES 779 1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK 13 747 2 JASON NIGHTINGALE 32 776 3 DEAN WHARE 16 803 4 BRAD TAKAIRANGI 1 781 5 PETA HIKU 9 802 6 TE MAIRE MARTIN 1 774 7 SHAUN JOHNSON 22 785 8 MARTIN TAUPAU 17 770 9 ELIJAH TAYLOR 10 755 10 JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES 20 796 11 KENNY BROMWICH 2 800 12 JOSEPH TAPINE 3 732 13 ADAM BLAIR 42 804 14 NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA 1 768 15 RUSSELL PACKER 4 * 16 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE – 806 17 DANNY LEVI 1 704 18 THOMAS LEULUAI 39 794 19 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK 4 731 20 SIMON MANNERING 43 798 21 JORDAN RAPANA 6
New Zealand scored five unanswered second half tries to win in a physical opening round World Cup clash in Auckland, but the win was soured by the loss of centre Gerard Beale with a leg injury.
Beale was taken from the field on a medicab, suffered a suspected broken leg as he was running in support and fell to the ground without being touched.
His loss is a blow for the new-look Kiwis, who had to overcome an emotion-charged Samoa side, with blood, sweat and tears all shed on the field as both teams wore their jerseys with pride in a tough and hard-hitting match.
Hardman Junior Paulo went from tears to aggression as he sung the national anthem before leading Samoa in a spine tingling pre-game war dance.
Following a blood pumping Haka from New Zealand, the opening minutes of the game featured hard straight running, and brick wall defence.
But it took only five minutes for New Zealand to break through Samoa’s defence and record their opening try of the World Cup.
40 meters out from Samoa’s line, Rapana flicked the ball inside to Shaun Johnson who drew the full-back and returned the ball to a full flight Rapana who ran down the field for New Zealand’s first try.
Following Johnson’s unsuccessful conversion, the match fell into an arm wrestle as the big men of both teams tried to bash their team into good field possession.
But it would be the footwork of New Zealand forward Simon Mannering that created a chance for Shaun Johnson to extend their lead 20 minutes out from half time.
Holding onto a slim 10-0 lead, Samoa needed to strike before half time to get back into the game.
And with just four minutes left to play in the half, Joey Leilua came off his edge and threw a long cut out ball to Ken Maumalo who picked up the bouncing ball and planted it down to bring the score line to 10-4 shortly before half time.
After a scrappy start to the game, completing just over 50% of their sets, New Zealand started to show glimpses of their world-class talent.
Then in the 56th minute, Johnson launched a grubber off his right boot, which sat up perfectly for Kodi Nikorima to give New Zealand a confident 20-4 lead as their attack started to gel.
New Zealand’s momentum was dealt a big blow in the 61st minute when Beale was taken from the field after suffering his injury. Beale was motionless on the field as his teammates were clearly distressed after falling to the ground after a tackle.
Despite the injury, New Zealand continued to rally and put Samoa to the sword as they ran in three unanswered tries in 20 minutes to finish the match.
As the siren sounded to finished the match, Samoa finally broke through New Zealand’s defensive line for a late consolation try, but it meant little as New Zealand finished winners, 38-8.
NZ 38 Jordan Rapana, Shaun Johnson, Brad Takairangi, Kodi Nikorima, Issac Liu, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Nelson Asofa-Solomona tries; Shaun Johnson 5 goals Samoa 8 Ken Maumalo, Joseph Paulo tries
James Coman1 | @JamesComan1 Rugby League Wolrd Cup 2017 Reporter
October 28 at Mt Smart
Kiwis Coach David Kidwell has named an attacking line up to tackle Samoa in their opening Rugby League World Cup match at Mt Smart on Saturday October 28.
The mix of youth and enthusiasm as well as experience in Kidwell’s side is displayed with the fact the Kiwis will cap player #804 during the match, whilst Kiwi #704 Thomas Leuluai will start at hooker.
Brad Takairangi will become Kiwi #803 earning his first start in the centres alongside Gerard Beale while Kodi Nikorima will partner Shaun Johnson in the halves.
Martin Taupau will be joined in the front row by skipper Adam Blair with the back row made up of Simon Mannering, Joseph Tapine and Kenny Bromwich.
Russell Packer who will provide a further spark off the bench along with Danny Levi, Isaac Liu and Nelson Asofa-Solomona will also earn their first Kiwis cap.
Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is named in 18 with Peta Hiku in 19, Te Maire Martin 20 and Addin Fonua-Blake in 21.
NEW ZEALAND v SAMOA MOUNT SMART STADIUM AUCKLAND Saturday 28 October 2017
KIWI NO. JERSEY NO. NAME TEST APPEARANCES 779 1 ROGER TUIVASA-SHECK 12 794 2 DALLIN WATENE-ZELEZNIAK 3 767 3 GERARD BEALE 10 * 4 BRAD TAKAIRANGI – 798 5 JORDAN RAPANA 5 793 6 KODI NIKORIMA 5 774 7 SHAUN JOHNSON 21 785 8 MARTY TAUPAU 16 704 9 THOMAS LEULUAI 38 732 10 ADAM BLAIR (C) 41 796 11 KENNY BROMWICH 2 800 12 JOSEPH TAPINE 2 731 13 SIMON MANNERING 42 * 14 NELSON ASOFA-SOLOMONA – 768 15 RUSSELL PACKER 3 * 16 ISAAC LIU – * 17 DANNY LEVI – 755 18 JARED WAEREA-HARGREAVES 19 781 19 PETA HIKU 9 802 20 TE MAIRE MARTIN 1 * 21 ADDIN FONUA-BLAKE –
The confirmed squads for the RLWC2017 Men’s Tournament have been confirmed today. Get behind your Kiwis!
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Pool A
Australia 1.Reagan Campbell-Gillard (Penrith Panthers), 2.Will Chambers (Melbourne Storm), 3.Boyd Cordner (Vice-Captain) (Sydney Roosters), 4.Cooper Cronk (Melbourne Storm), 5.Josh Dugan (St George Illawarra Dragons), 6.Tyson Frizell (St George Illawarra Dragons), 7.Dane Gagai (Newcastle Knights), ,8.Matt Gillett (Brisbane Broncos), 9.Wade Graham (Cronulla Sharks), 10.Valentine Holmes (Cronulla Sharks), 11.Ben Hunt (Brisbane Broncos), 12.Felise Kaufusi (Melbourne Storm), 13.David Klemmer (Canterbury Bulldogs), 14.Josh McGuire (Brisbane Broncos), 15.James Maloney (Cronulla Sharks), 16.Josh Mansour (Penrith Panthers), 17.Jordan McLean (Melbourne Storm), 18.Michael Morgan (North Queensland Cowboys), 19.Cameron Munster (Melbourne Storm), 20.Billy Slater (Melbourne Storm), 21.Cameron Smith (Captain) (Melbourne Storm), 22.Jake Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles), 23.Tom Trbojevic (Manly Sea Eagles), 24.Aaron Woods (Wests Tigers).
England 1.John Bateman (Wigan Warriors), 2.Kevin Brown (Warrington Wolves), 3.Sam Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 4.Thomas Burgess (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 5.Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves), 6.Luke Gale (Castleford Tigers), 7.James Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs), 8.Ryan Hall (Leeds Rhinos), 9.Chris Heighington (Cronulla Sharks), 10.Chris Hill (Warrington Wolves), 11.Josh Hodgson (Canberra Raiders), 12.Jonny Lomax (St Helens), 13.Jermaine McGillvary (Huddersfield Giants), 14.Mike McMeeken (Castleford Tigers), 15.Sean O’Loughlin (Captain) (Wigan Warriors), 16.Mark Percival (St Helens), 17.Stefan Ratchford (Warrington Wolves), 18.James Roby (St Helens), 19.Scott Taylor (Hull FC), 20.Alex Walmsley (St Helens), 21.Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos), 22.Elliott Whitehead (Canberra Raiders), 23.Gareth Widdop (St George Illawarra Dragons), 24.George Williams (Wigan Warriors).
France 1.Bastien Ader (Toulouse Olympique), 2.Olivier Arnaud (SO Avignon XIII), 3.Lucas Albert (Catalans Dragons), 4.Jason Baitieri (Catalans Dragons), 5.William Barthau (Toulouse Olympique), 6.Guillaume Bonnet (SO Avignon XIII), 7.Julian Bousquet (Catalans Dragons), 8.Clement Boyer (Toulouse Olympique), 9.Damien Cardace (FC Lezignan), 10.Nabil Djalout (Catalans Dragons), 11.Theo Fages (Captain) (St Helens), 12.John Boudebza (London Harlequins), 13.Benjamin Garcia (Catalans Dragons), 14.Maxime Herold (XIII Limouxin), 15.Benjamin Jullien (Warrington Wolves), 16.Thibault Margalet (Catalans Dragons), 17.Anthony Maria (Toulouse Olympique), 18.Hakim Miloudi (Doncaster/Hull FC), 19.Mark Keirallah (Toulouse Olympique), 20.Roman Navarette (Catalans Dragons), 21.Eloi Pelissier (Leigh Centurions), 22.Mickael Rouch (XIII Limouxin), 23.Gadwin Springer (Castleford Tigers), 24.Fouad Yaha (Catalans Dragons).
Lebanon 1.Robbie Farah (Captain) (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 2.Mitchell Moses (Vice-Captain) (Parramatta Eels), 3.Danny Barakat (Wentworthville Magpies), 4.Jamie Clark (Auburn Warriors), 5.Adam Doueihi (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 6.James Elias (West Newcastle), 7.Ahmad Ellaz (Auburn Warriors), 8.Nick Kassis (Blacktown Workers), 9.Andrew Kazzi (Wests Tigers), 10.Anthony Layoun (Parramatta Eels), 11.Michael Lichaa (Canterbury Bulldogs), 12.Mitchell Mamary (Wentworthville Magpies), 13.Bilal Maarbani (Manly Sea Eagles), 14.Abbas Miski (North Sydney Bears), 15.Tim Mannah (Parramatta Eels), 16.Ray Moujalli (Canterbury Bulldogs), 17.Reece Robinson (unattached), 18.Travis Robinson (Newtown Jets), 19.Chris Saab (Blacktown Workers), 20.Raymond Sabat (Lycans FC), 21.Jaleel Seve-Derbas (Wests Tigers), 22.Elias Sukkar (Wentworthville Magpies), 23.Alex Twal (Wests Tigers), 24.Jason Wehbe (unattached).
Pool B
New Zealand 1.Nelson Asofa-Solomona (Melbourne Storm), 2.Gerard Beale (Cronulla Sharks), 3.Adam Blair (Captain) (Brisbane Broncos), 4.Kenneath Bromwich (Melbourne Storm), 5.Addin Fonua-Blake (Manly Sea Eagles), 6.Peta Hiku (Warrington Wolves), 7.Shaun Johnson (New Zealand Warriors), 8.Thomas Leuluai (Wigan Warriors), 9.Danny Levi (Newcastle Knights), 10.Isaac Liu (Sydney Roosters), 11.Simon Mannering (New Zealand Warriors), 12.Te Maire Martin (North Queensland Cowboys), 13.Jason Nightingale (St George Illawarra Dragons), 14.Kodi Nikorima (Brisbane Broncos), 15.Russell Packer (St George Illawarra Dragons), 16.Jordan Rapana (Canberra Raiders), 17.Brad Takairangi (Parramatta Eels), 18.Joseph Tapine (Canberra Raiders), 19.Martin Taupau (Manly Sea Eagles), 20.Elijah Taylor (Wests Tigers), 21.Roger Tuivasa-Sheck (New Zealand Warriors), 22.Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (Sydney Roosters), 23.Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Penrith Panthers), 24.Dean Whare (Penrith Panthers).
Samoa 1.Frank Pritchard (Captain) (Parramatta Eels), 2.Bunty Afoa (NZ Warriors), 3.Leeson Ah Mau (St George Illawarra Dragons), 4.Fa’amanu Brown (Cronulla Sharks), 5.Herman Ese’ese (Brisbane Broncos), 6.Pita Godinet (Manly Sea Eagles), 7.Tim Lafai (St George Illawarra Dragons), 8.Joseph Leilua (Canberra Raiders), 9.Ricky Leutele (Cronulla Sharks), 10.Sam Lisone (NZ Warriors), 11.Jarome Luai (Penrith Panthers), 12.Suaia Matagi (Parramatta Eels), 13.Peter Mata’utia (Newcastle Knights), 14.Ken Maumalo (NZ Warriors), 15.Zane Musgrove (South Sydney Rabbitohs), 16.Josh Papalii (Canberra Raiders), 17.Joseph Paulo (Canberra Raiders), 18.Junior Paulo (Cronulla Sharks), 19.Ben Roberts (Castleford Tigers), 20.Sam Tagataese (Cronulla Sharks), 21.Jazz Tevaga (NZ Warriors), 22.Young Tonumaipea (Melbourne Storm), 23.Frank Winterstein (Manly Sea Eagles), 24.Matthew Wright (Manly Sea Eagles).
Scotland 1.Alex Walker (London Broncos), 2.Andrew Bentley (Toulouse Olympique), 3.Ben Hellewell (London Broncos), 4.Ben Kavanagh (Hull KR), 5.Brandan Wilkinson (Bradford Bulls), 6.Callum Phillips (Workington Town), 7.Dale Ferguson (Huddersfield Giants), 8.Danny Addy (Hull KR), 9.Danny Brough (Captain) (Huddersfield Giants), 10.David Scott (Batley Bulldogs), 11.Frankie Mariano (Featherstone Rovers), 12.James Bell (NZ Warriors), 13.Jarred Anderson (Sydney Roosters), 14.Johnny Walker (Darlington Point Roosters), 15.Kane Bentley (Toulouse Olympique), 16.Kieran Moran (Hull KR), 17.Lachlan Stein (Penrith Panthers), 18.Lewis Tierney (Wigan Warriors), 19.Luke Douglas (St Helens), 20.Matthew Russell (Warrington Wolves), 21.Oscar Thomas (Bradford Bulls), 22.Ryan Brierley (Toronto Wolfpack), 23.Sam Brooks (Featherstone Rovers), 24.Shane Toal (Barrow Raiders).
Tonga 1.Andrew Fifita (Cronulla Sharks), 2.Mahe Fonua (Hull FC), 3.David Fusitu’a (NZ Warriors), 4.Siliva Havili (St George Illawarra Dragons), 5.Ata Hingano (NZ Warriors), 6.Will Hopoate (Canterbury Bulldogs), 7.Konrad Hurrell (Gold Coast Titans), 8.Michael Jennings (Parramatta Eels), 9.Solomone Kata (NZ Warriros), 10.Sione Katoa (Penrith Panthers), 11.Samisoni Langi (Leigh Centurions), 12.Tuimoala Lolohea (Wests Tigers), 13.Sika Manu (Hull FC), 14.Manu Ma’u (Parramatta Eels), 15.Sam Moa (Catalans Dragons), 16.Ben Murdoch Masila (Salford Red Devils), 17.Joe Ofahengaue (Brisbane Broncos), 18.Tevita Pangai jnr (Brisbane Broncos), 19.Ukuma Ta’ai (Huddersfield Giants), 20.Sio Siua Taukieaho (Sydney Roosters), 21.Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys), 22.Peni Terepo (Parramatta Eels), 23.Daniel Tupou (Sydney Roosters), 24.Manu Vatuvei (Salford Red Devils).
Pool C
Papua New Guinea 1.David Mead (Captain), Brisbane Broncos), 2.Ase Boas (Vice-Captain) (PNG Hunters), 3.Enoch Maki (PNG Hunters), 4.Garry Lo (Sheffield Eagles), 5.James Segeyaro (Cronulla Sharks), 6.Justin Olam (Melbourne Storm/Sunshine Coast Falcons), 7.Kato Ottio (Canberra Raiders), 8.Kurt Baptiste (Canberra Raiders), 9.Lachlan Lam (Sydney Roosters), 10.Luke Page (Burleigh Bears), 11.Moses Meninga (PNG Hunters), 12.Nene MacDonald (St. George Illawarra Dragons), 13.Nixon Put (PNG Hunters), 14.Paul Aiton (Catalan Dragons), 15.Rhyse Martin (Canterbury Bulldogs), 16.Rod Griffin (Canterbury Bulldogs), 17.Stanton Albert (PNG Hunters), 18.Stargroth Amean (PNG Hunters), 19.Thompson Teteh (Redcliffe Dolphins), 20.Wartovo Puara Jnr (PNG Hunters), 21.Wellington Albert (PNG Hunters), 22.Watson Boas (PNG Hunters), 23.Willie Minoga (PNG Hunters).
Ireland 1.Liam Finn (Captain) (Wakefield Trinity), 2.Scott Grix (Vice-Captain) (Wakefield Trinity), 3.James Hasson (Wakefield Trinity), 4.Kyle Amor (St Helens), 5.Liam Kay (Toronto Wolfpack), 6.Will Hope (Sheffield Eagles), 7.Oliver Roberts (Huddersfield Giants), 8.Ed Chamberlain (Widnes Vikings), 9.George King (Warrington Wolves), 10.Joe Keyes (Bradford Bulls), 11.Joe Philbin (Warrington Wolves), 12.Jack Higginson (Wigan Warriors), 13.Anthony Mullally (Leeds Rhinos), 14.Tyrone McCarthy (Salford Red Devils), 15.Brad Singleton (Leeds Rhinos), 16.Micky McIlorum (Wigan Warriors), 17.Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook (St Helens), 18.Api Pewhairangi (London Broncos), 19.Matty Hadden (Rochdale Hornets), 20.Shannon McDonnell (Camden Rams), 21.Michael Morgan (Canterbury Bulldogs), 22.Casey Dunne (Athboy Longhorns), 23.James Kelly (Sheffield Eagles), 24.Alan McMahon (Waterford Vikings).
Wales 1.Courtney Davies (Gloucestershire All Golds), 2.Steve Parry (Gloucestershire All Golds), 3.Chester Butler (Halifax), 4.Danny Ansell (Hunslet), 5.Sam Hopkins (Leigh Centurions), 6.Michael Channing (London Broncos), 7.Ben Evans (London Broncos), 8.Dalton Grant (London Broncos), 9.Elliot Kear (Vice-Captain) (London Broncos), 10.Rhys Williams (London Broncos), 11.Matty Barron (Newcastle Thunder), 12.Joe Burke (Oldham Roughyeds), 13.Gavin Bennion (Rochdale Hornets), 14.Craig Kopczak (Captain) (Salford Red Devils), 15.Matty Fozard (Sheffield Eagles), 16.Andrew Gay (South Wales Ironmen), 17.Christiaan Roets (South Wales Ironmen), 18.Regan Grace (St Helens), 19.Morgan Knowles (St Helens), 20.Ben Morris (St Helens), 21.Rhodri Lloyd (Swinton Lions), 22.Josh Ralph (Tweed Heads Seagulls), 23.Phil Joseph (Vice-Captain) (Workington Town), 24.Matty Seamark (Wynnum Manly Seagulls).
Pool D
Fiji 1.Kane Evans (Sydney Roosters), 2.Salesi Faingaa (Parramatta Eels), 3.Jarryd Hayne (Gold Coast Titans), 4.Tui Kamikamica (Melbourne Storm/Sunshine Coast Falcons), 5.Viliame Kikau (Penrith Panthers), 6.Apisai Koroisau (Manly Sea Eagles), 7.Joe Lovadua (St George Illawarra Dragons), 8.Henry Raiwalui (Mounties), 9.Taane Milne (St George lIlawarra Dragons), 10.Sitiveni Moceidreke (South Sydney Rabbitohs/North Sydney Bears), 11.Marcelo Montoya (Canterbury Bulldogs), 12.Kevin Naiqama (Captain) (Wests Tigers), 13.Ben Nakubuwai (Gold Coast Titans/Tweed Heads Seagulls), 14.Mikaele Ravalawa (Canberra Raiders), 15.Junior Roqica (London Broncos), 16.Jacob Saifiti (Newcastle Knights), 17.Ashton Sims (Warrington Wolves), 18.Korbin Sims (Brisbane Broncos), 19.Pio Seci (Nabua Broncos), 20.James Storer (Port Kembla Blacks), 21.Akuila Uate (Manly-Sea Eagles), 22.Eloni Vunakece (Sydney Roosters/ Wyong Roos), 23.Suliasi Vunivalu (Melbourne Storm), 24.Brayden Wiliame (Catalans Dragons).
Italy 1.Daniel Alvaro (Parramatta Eels), 2.Mirco Bergamasco (Saluzzo Roosters), 3.Nathan Brown (Parramatta Eels), 4.Christophe Calegari (Palau XIII Broncos), 5.Terry Campese Queanbeyan Blues), 6.Justin Castellaro (Northern Pride), 7.Chris Centrone (Wyong Roos), 8.Geole Cellurino (Saluzzo Roosters/Tully Tigers), 9.Mason Cerruto (Penrith Panthers), 10.Ryan Ghietti (Northern Pride), 11.Gavin Hiscox (Central Qld Capras), 12.Jack Johns (Newcastle Knights), 13.Richard Lepori (Oldham Roughyeds), 14.Josh Mantellato (Wyong Roos), 15.Mark Minichiello (Captain) (Hull FC), 16.Nathan Milone (Wests Tigers), 17.Joel Riethmuller (Northern Pride), 18.Brendan Santi (Sydney Roosters/Wyong Roos), 19.James Tedesco (Vice-Captain) (Wests Tigers), 20.Joel Tramontana (Canterbury Bulldogs), 21.Paul Vaughan (St George Illawarra Dragons), 22.Jayden Walker (Cronulla Sharks), 23.Colin Wilkie (Northern Pride), 24.Shannon Wakeman (Huddersfield Giants).
USA 1.Jonathan Taylor Alley (Central Florida Warriors), 2.Ryan Burroughs (Toronto Wolfpack), 3.Charles ‘CJ’ Cortalano (White Plains Wombats), 4.Joseph Eichner (Toronto Wolfpack), 5.Bureta Faraimo (NZ Warriors), 6.Gabriel Farley (Philadelphia Fight), 7.Kristian Freed (White Plains Wombats), 8.Daniel Howard (Wentworthville Magpies), 9.Stephen Howard (Mounties), 10.Martwain Johnston (Delaware Black Foxes), 11.Andrew Kneisly (Philadelphia Fight), 12.Corey Makelim (Mounties), 13.Fotukava ‘Hiko’ Malu (Atlanta Rhinos), 14.David Marando (Belrose Eagles), 15.Nicholas Newlin (Atlanta Rhinos), 16.Mark Offerdahl (Captain) (London Broncos), 17.Edward Pettybourne (Tweed Heads Seagulls), 18.Joshua Rice (New York Knights), 19.Matthew Shipway (South Newcastle), 20.Samuel Tochtermann-Talbott (Tweed Heads Seagulls), 21.David Ulch (Tampa Mayhem), 22.Taioalo Junior Vaivai (Illawarra Wests Devils), 23.Matthew Walsh (White Plains Wombats)
Kidwell, who was a student of All Blacks mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka at Hillmorten High School in Christchurch, was a guest of Steve Hansen and his staff on their busiest training day ahead of the Test at ANZ Stadium.
After watching the way Hansen prepared his team, Kidwell was one of the few people not surprised that the All Blacks led the Wallabies 40-6 at halftime and 54-6 in the 46th minute before going on to win 54-34, and says he learned a lot from his time in camp last Thursday.
It was just great to see the way they do things, Kidwell said.
I see myself as a continuous learner so to have the opportunity to learn off one of the premier sports teams in the world, in the all blacks, was obviously beneficial.”
I really enjoyed it and I want to thank Steve and his team for letting me into their inner sanctum.
They are really professional in the way they do things, which is why they are at the top of their sport, and to see it come out in the game last Saturday night was really impressive.
What most impressed Kidwell was the leading role the All Blacks players took at training session, and he wants to create a similar high performance environment in the Kiwis camp during the World Cup.
What I want to do is create a gap between the NRL and the Kiwis, and make sure that when players come into the Kiwis environment they are lifting their standards and lifting the commitment there, Kidwell said.
That is what I saw coming into the All Blacks camp, they are there for a purpose and while the coaches are there to help they have a strong culture and it is player led. They have obviously got a high standard of excellence and what I was really impressed was that it is really player driven.
What I really noticed was that there wasnt any wasted energy. Everything they do is with a purpose, whether it is catch and pass, tackle technique or whatever and it is all player driven.
Obviously I want to improve the environment of the Kiwis and there are few things we can change which I think will really benefit us.
While Kidwell didnt want to go into specific detail about what the Kiwis may adapt from the All Blacks he said one thing that was likely to change would be their training schedule between games.
I had a look at the days they train, what they do on those days compared to us and the reasons why, he said.
They train two days before the game and it is a double-day, whereas we are used to having that day off. That really impressed me, knowing the reasons why they do it, and I think it could be really beneficial for us. Id love for us to one day have a mixed training session.
Kidwell also plans to make changes to the Kiwis playing style and has been in discussions with technical advisor Brian Smith and assistant coach Garth Brennan about ways to capitalise on the strengths of the players who will be in the New Zealand squad.
What I have tried to do the last four or five teams we have played Australia hasnt worked so the one thing I said to Brian when we sat down and talked about his role was that I wanted to look outside the box, Kidwell said. Brian has coached over 600 first grade games so he has a lot of knowledge and experience, and we are looking at a different style we are going to play during the World Cup.
We have obviously got a lot of talent within the NRL so we are really going to try and use our strength, with the style of football we will play during the World Cup.
New Zealand meet Samoa in their opening match of the World Cup at Mt Smart Stadium on October 28, before travelling to Christchurch to play Scotland on November 4 and to Hamilton to take on Tonga on November 11.
By Brad Walter | @BradWalterSport Chief Correspondent, RLWC2017
We put Kiwi boys Jordan Kahu, Dean Whare and Marty Taupau in the hot seat to find out a little more about themand their teammates…
Kiwis Coach David Kidwell has announced Adam Blair as the new captain to lead New Zealand at the Rugby League World Cup 2017.
The 30-year-old, Whangarei born Kiwi has played a vital role in the teams successes since his debut in 2006. With 41 international Tests under his belt, including the 2008 World Cup and 2014 Four Nations winning teams, Adam has been an integral member of the top-quality Broncos squad who are currently sitting in the NRL top four.
Having been a member of the Kiwis leadership team for several years, Kidwell is confident Blair has the mana, integrity and experience to take the next step in his career.
Adams vision and rugby league intelligence has been proven time and time again.
He is a well-respected core member of our team and has earned the respect of both the coaching staff and his fellow players, he says. Adam will steer the team in a positive direction with his actions, courage and mana.
Blair is known for his attention to detail both on the field and in his educational pursuits and he is taking the new role in his stride.
Im honoured to take on the new leadership role, playing for the Kiwis is not something I take lightly and leading the boys, especially in World Cup year is a challenge Im excited to get into, he says.
While Simon Mannering was considered for the role, the rugby league stalwart supported Blair in bringing a fresh perspective to the position.
Ive talked with Simon and he is happy with his role within the team and will continue to play a fundamental part as a member of the leadership group that will support the new captain, Kidwell says.
Blairs first appearance as captain will be when the Kiwis take on Samoa at Mt Smart on October 28.
Adam Blair:
Kiwi: #732
Date of birth: 20/03/1986
First grade appearances: 251
Tests: 41
Debuted: 2006
Junior Kiwis: 2002 & 2003
The big hits keep coming for Kiwi #655 Ruben Wiki. Just days after making his comeback at the age of 44 at the Auckland Nines, Wiki was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame at the Halberg Awards.
He is just the ninth rugby league inductee to achieve the honour. Other rugby league players recognised have been Albert Baskerville, Tom Baxter, NZRL Legend Mark Graham, Kiwi #665 Stacey Jones, Ces Mountford, Charlie Seeling, George Smith and Des White.
Multi-talented and immensely popular Wiki proved himself to be among the finest of all rugby league players during 16 first-grade seasons which included an illustrious club career on both sides of the Tasman, establishing a Test-appearances world record while playing for the Kiwis in the backs and the forwards, and captaining his country to one of its most significant international triumphs. Since his retirement in 2008 he has continued to serve the sport at club and national levels.
Of Samoan and Maori descent, Wiki was born on January 21, 1973. In 1992 he starred for the Junior Kiwis, playing alongside future All Black captain Tana Umaga in the centres, and went on to represent Auckland and New Zealand Maori before being signed by the Canberra Raiders in 1993. He teamed up with his boyhood hero Mal Meninga when Canberra won the 1994 grand final. Wiki also made his Test debut against Papua New Guinea in 1994 and was to wear the Kiwis jersey every year from then until 2006.
The first half of his international career was almost exclusively played as a 95kg centre, where he made 21 of his first 24 Test appearances (the other three were as a replacement loose forward). At the 2000 World Cup in Britain he started in the forwards for the first time, staying there for his remaining 31 Tests. He progressively moved from loose forward and then into the second-row before specialising as a 106kg prop from 2004. Few rugby league players anywhere in the world have had the combined physical and mental assets to successfully handle all of those very different roles.
In 2005 Wiki captained the Kiwis and was named man of the match in their stunning 24-0 victory over Australia in the Tri Nations final at Elland Road in Leeds. It was New Zealand’s maiden victory in a major tournament and was the forerunner to subsequent World Cup (2008) and Four Nations (2010 and 2014) triumphs. That momentous occasion was also Wiki’s 50th Test match – he was the first to achieve that milestone for any nation – and when he retired after the 2006 season his world record stood at 55. Wiki had captained his country in the last 18 of them, proving to be an inspiration on and off the field.
After retiring from international football he twice played for the All Golds, against the Northern Union in Warrington in 2007 and against New Zealand Maori in New Plymouth in 2008. He also represented a Samoa Residents side in 2009 and, just after his 44th birthday, captained the Vodafone Warriors at the 2017 NRL Nines at Eden Park (the first time he had ever played at the venue).
At NRL level, Wiki made 225 appearances for the Canberra Raiders from 1993 to 2004 – and was twice that proud club’s player of the year – and 87 for the Vodafone Warriors from 2005 to 2008 (named player of the Year in 2005). On June 29, 2008, he became only the 10th player of all time, and the first (and still only) New Zealander, to reach 300 first-grade matches in a competition which extends back to 1908. When he retired at the end of that season his total was 312.
Since his retirement from playing, Wiki has served as the New Zealand Rugby League’s high performance manager, been on the support staff of the Kiwis, and held the role of strength and conditioning coach for the Vodafone Warriors. He has mentored numerous young players seeking to follow in his footsteps and occasionally pulled the boots back on to play in charity games. Wiki has been recognised in many Canberra, Vodafone Warriors and New Zealand ‘best ever’ team selections since his retirement, including the New Zealand Rugby League’s team of the century.
In 2007, while still playing in his penultimate season for the Vodafone Warriors, Wiki was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit (ONZM) for his services to rugby league. Later that year he won the Ken Stephen Medal, awarded annually to the NRL player who makes the most outstanding contribution to the community.
NZ Kiwis rugby league coach David Kidwell admits he needs to surround himself with experienced minds, if he has any chance of turning the team’s current slump around.
Kidwell has just one win in five matches as Kiwis coach and was in the firing line, after a disappointing Four Nations campaign that included two losses to Australia and a draw with Scotland.
He said coming in just months out from the campaign was tough and that having another voice to lean on could help dramatically.
“I’ve got an opportunity to align myself with High Performance New Zealand and go into a forum where other coaches might have been in the same situation,” Kidwell told Newstalk ZB’s Tony Veitch.
“It’s an opportunity for me to learn.”
Read more
One-test Kiwi and respected Maori leader Mita Mohi MBE JP has died in Rotorua, aged 78.
Mohi (Kiwi #501) played among the forwards, representing Canterbury in 42 games from 1960-73, and turning out for Marist, Papanui and Riccarton in Christchurch.
He also represented South Island three times and NZ Marist, making his only appearance for the Kiwis against hosts France at the 1972 World Cup. Ironically, Mohi injured a calf during the pre-match haka and was replaced during the game.
A train driver in his early working life, Mohi was also a professional wrestler and prominent in Maori tennis, but is best known for his promotion of the Maori culture and particularly “mau rakau”, the art of Maori weaponry.
He established the Mokoia taiaha wananga to train boys and men in the art of using the Maori spear, and also developed a mau rakau programme that has run in New Zealand prisons.
Mohi was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 1995 New Year Honours for his services to youth and, in 2007, received a Rotorua District Council community award for voluntary services.
He was given the Keeper of Traditions Award at the 2012 National Waiata Maori Music Awards and that same year, accepted the Sir Kingi Ihaka Award at the Te Waka Toi Awards.
“The wairua [spirit] that man had was just incredible,” second cousin and NZRL life member Trevor Maxwell told the Rotorua Daily Post.
“There would have been thousands of kids who went through his programme on Mokoia Island. He helped so many, especially those at-risk kids.”
Australia have turned on a rugby league masterclass to dispatch the NZ Kiwis in the Four Nations final and grab the world #1 ranking from their rivals.
The Kangaroos stamped their authority with an impeccable first-half performance and held on for a 34-8 victory at Anfield, the famous home of Liverpool FC.
Winger Josh Dugan scored twice, as the Kangaroos bullied the Kiwis’ inexperienced left-edge defence, while his team ran in a total of six tries through a combination of power, skill and speed.
Australia wasted no time establishing their dominance, taking advantage of Jordan Kahu’s handling error to put centre Blake Ferguson across untouched in the corner.
Jordan Rapana split the Aussie defence with a long run, but when it broke down, the Kangaroos counterattacked, with fullback Darius Boyd providing the last pass for Dugan’s first try.
A botched play-the-ball between Shaun Kenny-Dowall and Issac Luke provided Australia with the opportunity for Trent Merrin to bullock his way over near the posts, while Dugan outpaced the defence to gather a kick-through from Johnathan Thurston for his second try.
Ahead 24-0 at half-time, Australia enjoyed the lion’s share of possession and territory, racking up nine repeat sets and completing 90% of their sets. New Zealand had just three repeat sets and finished 67%.
If the Kiwis hoped to mount a comeback, they were rocked soon after the restart, when Boyd barely reached the try-line to extend the Australian lead.
There were more hopeful signs for the black-and-white jersey through the second half though. In the 56th minute, Jordan Kahu capitalised on some extended pressure with a try and then secured a double, when he spun and lunged across the line.
But there was no denying Australia their triumph, with second row Boyd Cordner providing the icing on the cake in the final moments. Boyd was named Man of the Match.
“It was one of those nights,” conceded Kiwis veteran Adam Blair, “We worked really hard this whole tour and this week, but we were very disappointed with our effort in the first half.
“Collectively, as a group, we let ourselves down and our ball-handling was terrible.
“Then we came out in the second half and tried to play some footy in what we believe is the Kiwis style, but they were a class outfit tonight and cleaned us up.”
New Zealand must now regroup under coach David Kidwell and prepare for their next challenge, the trans-Tasman test early next year and Rugby League World Cup 2017 on home soil.
Australia 34 (Josh Dugan 2, Blake Ferguson, Trent Merrin, Darius Boyd & Boyd Cordner tries; Johnathan Thurston 5 goals) NZ Kiwis 8 (Jordan Kahu 2 tries)
NZ Kiwis look to defend their tournament title and world #1 ranking, when they face Australia on Monday morning 3:30am (NZ time) in the final match of the 2016 Four Nations.
Coach David Kidwell has acknowledged it has been a difficult task naming the final squad considering the effort all members of the tour have shown.
“The intensity, application and focus has gone up another level this week. I’ve been really pleased with how the boys have responded and it’s made the job harder to pick my squad which is really positive.”
Apart from Kiwi #704 Thomas Leuluai (broken jaw), all other players were in consideration for the team.
Adam Blair will become the seventh player in history to play 40 tests in the black-and-white jersey, joining Issac Luke, who achieved this milestone last week.
“This very rarely happens, players reaching this level,” says Kidwell. “Both men hold so much mana in Te Iwi Kiwi and as they always do, they will help lead the team on Sunday.”
Jordan Kahu, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Kevin Proctor and Jason Taumalolo all return to the playing squad after last week off, as well as Lewis Brown and Jordan Rapana, who were 18th and 19th men.
The Kiwis could be the first team ever to win consecutive Four Nations titles.
“The main thing is concentrating on key areas in our game and taking opportunities,” says Kidwell.
“We’ve worked extremely hard all tour and now it’s time to show that on the field for a full 80 minutes.”
The full NZ Kiwis team (in alphabetical order) to face Australia in the Four Nations final is:
Adam Blair (Brisbane Broncos) Jesse Bromwich – captain (Melbourne Storm) Lewis Brown (Manly Sea Eagles) Greg Eastwood (Canterbury Bulldogs) James Fisher-Harris (Penrith Panthers) David Fusitu’a (NZ Warriors) Tohu Harris (Melbourne Storm) Shaun Johnson (NZ Warriors) Jordan Kahu (Brisbane Broncos) Solomone Kata (NZ Warriors) Shaun Kenny-Dowall (Sydney Roosters) Issac Luke (NZ Warriors) Te Maire Martin (Penrith Panthers) Manu Ma’u (Parramatta Eels) Kevin Proctor (Melbourne Storm) Jordan Rapana (Canberra Raiders) Joseph Tapine (Canberra Raiders) Jason Taumalolo (North Queensland Cowboys) Martin Taupau (Manly Sea Eagles) Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (Penrith Panthers)
Now that the NZ Kiwis are confirmed in next weekend’s Four Nations final, veteran utility Lewis Brown is looking on the positive side of events that have delivered them there.
Held to a surprise draw by Scotland on Saturday (NZ time), the world #1 side needed to rely on Australia holding off England, before they could finalise plans for another week in the north of England.
With that nightmare behind them, the Kiwis can now focus on their one-off assignment at the iconic Liverpool FC home ground of Anfield.
“Obviously we’re a bit disappointed, but it is what it is,” reflects Brown, who filled the unenviable 18th-man role for the encounter against the Scots at Workington.
“We came up against a team that was very passionate at a place where they’ve had a lot of success.
“Luckily, we get another bit of the cheery. It wasn’t ideal, firstly losing to Australia and then having a draw against Scotland, but it shows how strong international rugby league is becoming.
“It was probably a wake-up call, to be honest, and maybe a blessing in disguise.”
Brown has carved a niche for himself in the Kiwis rotation, often spelling hooker Issac Luke for 15-20 minutes in the second half. That provides an ideal opportunity to gauge the team’s performance through the opening stages of a match.
“We probably haven’t started games that well,” he admits. “Against England and Australia, we were probably chasing out tails a bit.
“It was the same against Scotland. With a strong wind behind us, 6-4 at halftime probably wasn’t that ideal.
“Our starts haven’t been the best, but it’s all there. As individuals, we need to focus a bit more and hopefully our execution can come from that.
“We probably haven’t put together a full 80 minutes of football. We’ve got a lot of calibre in the side, but we haven’t put it all together yet.
“When you think about it, that’s quite exciting.”
After the Scotland game, the NZ contingent moved base from Carlisle to Manchester, awaiting further developments. Their hotel did not carry BBC coverage of the Australia v England game, some nervous Nellies chose not to watch, while others went elsewhere to learn their fate.
With one training run under their belts, they are due to relocate to Liverpool tomorrow.
“Looking back on the three games, we’ve prepared pretty well, but we just haven’t put the right performance together,” says Brown. “We’ve gone pretty close, but I believe our energy has been a bit down, whereas in past successful years, we’ve had a lot of energy.
“It’s all about stripping it right back and playing the brand of footy we like to play. We’ve got forwards who can move the ball and I’m pretty sure, this weekend, we’ll be looking to do that.
“It’s been there the last three weeks, but we probably haven’t executed it that well.”
After the Scotland result, the Kiwis will enter the Four Nations climax as firm underdogs, but Brown is adamant his team are capable of turning their fortunes around, with their tournament crown and world ranking at stake.
“We haven’t spoken about that this week, but we came over as #1 and we want to go back #1,” he says. “New Zealand rugby league is in a pretty strong position at the moment and our attitude here is we don’t like losing.”
Twelve of this current squad took the field for the 2014 Four Nations victory in Wellington, a performance that capped an unbeaten run through that tournament.
“Playing in that final was one of the highlights of my career and you’ve got to take a bit of belief from that,” reflects Brown. “A lot of boys were in that final and if you haven’t won one, it’s a bit hard.
“But we’ve been there and done it, and that experience will hopefully hold us in good stead this weekend.
“I have every belief that if we can get ourselves right, we give ourselves a good chance.”
One dilemma immediately facing coach David Kidwell is a replacement for veteran five-eighth Thomas Leuluai, who left the Scotland game with a broken jaw.
Two obvious candidates are second row Tohu Harris, who has filled the #6 jersey on a makeshift basis previously, or international rookie Te Maire Martin, who made his debut as Leuluai’s replacement on Saturday.
But the Kiwis’ struggles on tour have perhaps found some perspective, as news filters through on the earthquakes that have struck much of New Zealand in recent days.
“Obviously, it’s a bit close to home for us,” admits Brown. “I’ve got family in Christchurch and they’ve had it rough.
“It’s not very pleasant to see stuff like that happen in your own backyard and the city has been through a lot. Luckily, my family are all safe.
“The boys are a bit rattled. A few of them are from Wellington, and their families or friends got evacuated.
“It’s a weird feeling when something like that is going on back home.”
NZ Kiwis had progressed to the Four Nations final at Anfield next week, after Australia turned aside England 36-18 overnight.
World champions Australia had already qualified for the tournament climax, but did their trans-Tasman rivals a favour with their hard-fought victory over the home side at London’s Olympic Stadium.
The English needed only a draw to advance and lagged only 10-6 at half-time. Big centre Greg Inglis gave the Kangaroos some breathing room with a try, converted by Johnathan Thurston, soon after the restart, before the floodgates opened.
Prop Matt Scott and centre Josh Dugan scored in quick succession, both converted by Thurston, and the margin was suddenly 28-6.
England five-eighth Graham Widdop gave his side a glimpse of hope with a converted try, but Aussie second-row Matt Gillett put the result beyond doubt, stretching out in a two-tackle for another four-pointer.
Big English winger Ryan Hall kept his incredible try-scoring record intact, scoring his 31st in 31 games, but rookie winger Valentine Holmes dove over acrobatically in the corner to complete the scoresheet.
The Four Nations final is scheduled for the iconic home of Liverpool FC next Monday, November 21, at 3.30am NZ.
World number #1 New Zealand face an anxious 48 hours, if they are to progress to the Four Nations final next week.
The NZ Kiwis were held to an historic 18-18 by underdogs Scotland in their final pool game at Workington’s Zebra Claims Stadium, conceding a final-minute converted try that has them on the cusp of elimination.
They must now hope world champions Australia can defeat England tomorrow morning (NZ time) in London. The tournament hosts only need a draw to advance on points-differential.
Faced with a fired-up Scottish side, playing at their south-of-the-border home, a heavy ground and horrific weather conditions, the Kiwis, including four players on debut, never really settled into their task.
They reached half-time just 6-4 ahead, after enjoying the benefits of a strong tail-wind for the first 40 minutes.
After 20 minutes of unrewarded Scots dominance, debutant winger David Fusitu’a finally put them up with a try down the right side.
Capitalising on a Scotland mistake down their own end, the NZ side made easy metres up the middle of the park, half Shaun Johnson found Tohu Harris running off his shoulder and the rangy second rower showed Fusitu’a an open path to the line.
But Lewis Tierney answered only a few moments later, chasing down a grubber kick from Lachlan Coote behind the try-line and grounding before space ran out. Danny Brough’s conversion was wayward, leaving his team adrift at the break.
Brough signalled Scotland’s intent immediately after the restart, drilling a wind-assisted 40/20 kick that pinned the Kiwis deep in their own territory.
Somehow, the black-and-whites held them out and eventually provided Fusitu’a with another touchdown on the end of a slick back-line movement
But the Bravehearts weren’t to be denied, drawing even with a try to Ben Hellewell, converted by Brough. Then they drew a penalty by catching Manu Ma’u offside, as he regained his feet from a tackle and Brough slotted a go-ahead kick from out in front for a 12-10 lead.
Facing an upset of Trump proportions, the Kiwis seemed to stave off defeat with two tries in quick succession to centre Gerard Beale. Neither were converted into the wind and Scotland still had a chance with the final minutes counting down.
That was all they needed. Charging back onto attack, they moved the ball right, where centre Euan Aitken burst through two tacklers to score. Brough was again on target to seal the deadlock, as the final hooter sounded.
Johnson was named Man of the Match and was a threat whenever he had the ball in hand, but the individual honour will be small consolation, if the English can get up on Monday morning.
“We’re disappointed, but Scotland played really well tonight,” he said afterwards. “We wanted to get the job done, but we knew it was going to be tough in difficult conditions, but a lot of credit to Scotland.
“Every game you play in these tournaments is very tough. We can complain all we want about how we played, but they showed up with the right attitude and competed really hard.”
This was the best performance ever from a “fourth team” at the Four Nations and suggests the big three cannot rest on their laurels as the game spreads internationally.
As the starting winger, Fusitu’a was always dangerous on debut, but fellow newcomers Joseph Tapine, James Fisher-Harris and Te Maire Martin were forced to come off the bench under fire.
They probably enjoyed their best moment, when Martin and young fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak were part of the lead-up to Beale’s second try, DWZ providing the final pass.
Martin came onto the field, when veteran Thomas Leuluai ominously headed to the sideline clutching a broken jaw.
“I suppose that was a welcome to coaching,” reflected new Kiwis coach David Kidwell. “I thought we did well to get back into the game, with the conditions here suited to Scotland’s style of play.
“We’ve got some disappointed players in there, but we just have to move on and make sure we recover well.”
NZ Kiwis 18 (David Fusitu’a 2 & Gerard Beale 2 tries; Issac Luke goal) Scotland 18 (Lewis Tierney, Ben Hellewell & Euan Aitken tries; Danny Brough 3 goals)
NZ Kiwis players are trying to take the mathematics out of the equation this week, as they prepare for a banana-skin Four Nations match-up with Scotland on Saturday (NZ time).
But fullback Jordan Kahu admits they are ruing past mistakes that have added to the tension, as they try to nail down their spot in next week’s tournament final.
After edging England in their campaign opener and falling narrowly to world champions Australia last week, New Zealand have the inside running on a place at Anfield and a chance to defend their title from two years ago.
All they require is victory against the Scots and an Australian win over England to set the scene for a trans-Tasman showdown at the iconic home of Liverpool FC.
But if the home side were to somehow topple the Kangaroos, then points differential becomes crucial and the Kiwis’ margin of success over Scotland becomes doubly important.
Weigh that against the temptation to blood several tour rookies this week and you begin to understand the dilemma facing coach David Kidwell.
But Kahu insists his team-mates aren’t sweating too much on the outcome, just the process.
“As players, we haven’t been focusing on [points differential] too much,” he says. “We had missed opportunities against Australia and England, and points have gone begging, so we’re really just focusing on ourselves to make sure we’re at the top of our game.
“Hopefully, if we put our best footy on the park, that will help us with the differential.
“When we play England and Australia, it’s always hard to get points. Defensively, they’re both pretty good teams and we’ve been trying our best, but those missed opportunities haven’t helped.
“If we can rectify that, then I guess we can put more points on the board.”
Apart from the opening stages against England, when they jumped out to an early 8-0 lead, the Scots haven’t really threatened an upset so far, but that’s not to say they won’t provide a tricky obstacle in that scramble for final spots.
Kahu, for one, refuses to write them off.
“They’re gutsy. They’ve definitely put their hand up and shown they’re competitive at this level.
“We’re coming to Scotland and playing their home team. I know if Scotland were coming to New Zealand, we would definitely be putting our best team on the park, so we’re going to prepare like we’re playing anyone else and make sure everyone turns up on Friday.”
The composition of that Kiwis line-up should become clearer within 24 hours and Kidwell may opt to test some of the exciting new talent waiting in the wings.
Five-eighth Te Maire Martin, wing/fullback David Fusitu’a, and forwards Joseph Tapine and James Fisther-Harris are all vying to become Kiwi #800, while one-test winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak is another champing at the bit.
“They definitely deserve a shot,” says Kahu, who may well have to step aside to make room, if those newcomers are to be accommodated.
“They’ve been here with us since Perth and pushing us at training, making sure we’re fighting for our positions.
“They all deserve a chance to wear the black jersey and If they do, they’ve been training like they’re ready to play some good footy and I’m sure they’ll fit in pretty well.”
Head coach David Kidwell has given four international rookies the chance to wear the black-and-white jersey in the NZ Kiwis’ Four Nations clash with Scotland on Saturday morning (NZ).
One-test Kiwi Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (21) has been named at fullback in place of Jordan Kahu, joining debutant David Fusitu’a (22), who takes a wing spot, in the starting line-up.
Three others – Te Maire Martin (21), James Fisher-Harris (20) and Joseph Tapine (22) – will come off the bench for their first appearances in an international test match. The first to take the field will become Kiwi #800.
The NZ team have moved camp to Carlisle ahead of their game in Workington on the northwest coast of England.
With this line-up, all 24 members of the touring squad will have played during the Four Nations tournament.
“It’s an exciting opportunity for these young players,” says Kidwell. “They are hungry, their effort and attitude in training has shown me that, and they’ll bring a lot of energy.”
After the 14-8 loss to Australia last Sunday (NZ), Kidwell acknowledges this game is a must win.
“The most important thing right now is we need to win. Scotland started really well against England and we need to respect that.
“They have improved every game and if you add that on top of the conditions, we have a tough challenge ahead.”
“The guys making their debuts deserve the opportunity to play. They have worked extremely hard and have been pushing for spots all tour.”
Jason Nightingale also returns to the team, after missing last week’s test with an ankle injury.
Manu Ma’u and Greg Eastwood come into the starting team replacing Kevin Proctor and Jason Taumalolo, while Gerard Beale shifts to centre in place of Shaun Kenny-Dowall.
6Kiwis half Shaun Johnson came within an ace of stealing an unlikely result against world champions Australia, but he and his New Zealand side fell shot 14-8 in their Four Nations clash at Coventry.
One week after engineering a one-point win over hosts England in their tournament opener, Johnson appeared out of sorts for most of this encounter, but burst to life over the final 10 minutes to bring his side within an ace of victory.
Trailling 14-4, he chipped ahead on the final tackle of a set, regathered in midfield and spread the ball to centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who drew the last defender and sent Jordan Rapana over in the corner.
Johnson’s conversion attempt was wide, but a converted try could still snatch a draw.
With the final seconds counting down, Johnson found another chink in the Kangaroos’ defensive armour and plunged over the try-line, but was wrapped up by Australian fullback Darius Boyd and was unable to force the ball.
The thriller ended, with Gerard Beale’s in-goal speculator forced dead.
“We had a chance, but it wasn’t to be,” lamented Johnson afterwards. “We had plenty of opportunities at the end, we just came up short.
“A few things let us down, we just couldn’t build the pressure we wanted. We just have to get better.”
Australia dominated the first half, running in tries to wing Blake Ferguson and half Johnathan Thurston to lead 10-0 at the break. They probably should have been further ahead, but made more errors than their counterparts, who could not get a fair share of possession.
New Zealand’s best chance of scoring in the opening 40 minutes came, when Rapana intercepted the ball on his own try-line and set off up-field, only to be ankle-tapped by the pursuing Greg Inglis.
But the reigning Four Nations champions began the second half with far more determination, rewarded when centre Solomone Kata bullocked his way over for his first try in the black jersey.
Ultimately, the win slipped from the Kiwis’ fingers through ill-discipline. Twice, they were penalised in the tackle in front of their own posts and Thurston’s kicking boot stretched the advantage to 14-4.
Ferguson almost had another try in the right corner, but the touch judge correctly ruled the final pass forward.
New Zealand came close, but could never quite bridge the gap.
It was an improved performance on their previous two outings against Australia, though – the 16-0 loss in Newcastle in May and 26-6 in Perth three weeks ago.
The Kiwis still hold the inside running on a spot in the Four Nations final. They must beat Scotland convincingly in Workington on Friday and hope Australia can keep England at bay on Sunday.
If England win, the two final berths will likely be decided on a countback of points difference, so the margin of victory over the Scots becomes vital to New Zealand’s hopes.
Australia 14 (Blake Ferguson & Johnathan Thurston tries; Thurston 3 goals) NZ Kiwis 8 (Solomone Kata & Jordan Rapana tries)
