New Zealand fullback Sam Perrett offloads the ball during the first test against Great Britain. Photo / Getty Images
Nerves hit test debutante Sam Perrett as the Kiwis came out on to Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield yesterday but he's not blaming that for a costly error that gave the Lions a momentum-turning try.
Perrett had a great game but is liable to be remembered for that one
mistake rather than his all-round performance in his first international.
The Kiwis were 10-8 up nine minutes after halftime when Lions halfback Rob Burrow dropped a kick into their in-goal, Perrett appearing to have an age to cover it over the dead-ball line.
But the ball bounced up off its end and speeding Great Britain wing Gareth Raynor dived on it for four points while Perrett was bent over it waiting. With the conversion, the Lions took the lead.
"I was hoping for it to go out - I had no idea he was coming," Perrett said.
"It was so noisy and he was so quiet. It was a big shock."
Perrett said he tried to put the error out of his mind.
"It was something I did out of ignorance. You don't dwell on it - you're not going to help your teammates if you carry on thinking about it, if you go into your shell."
He was quickly back in the action mid-field, where his dummy-half running provided plenty of ground-gain for the Kiwis throughout the match.
Perrett, 22, was born in Auckland, shifted to Australia with his family when he was 13 and played for Queensland and Australian Schoolboys sides. A year ago, former Kiwis coach Brian McClennan approached him to check his allegiance. "From then on I was really keen to play for New Zealand. Today was huge. I've just realised I've played for my country."
Perrett said he had been composed all week. "The nerves hit me when I went on the field. I had to blot out that it was such a big occasion."
Bar that mistake, he was pleased with his game and that of the team and felt they could turn the result around in test two next Sunday.
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