League: Kangaroos play tough when it counts

Stacey Jones went up a gear in Melbourne with some darting runs and more pentrating kicking game. Quinn Rooney / Getty Images

Australia 20 New Zealand 15

MELBOURNE - The old and the new of Australian league combined to crush the Kiwis' hopes yet again in an epic Melbourne test match which, unlike the first encounter in Auckland, will be remembered for the right reasons.

After a spiteful week, the late withdrawal of controversial Australian prop Willie Mason helped to ease the Tri-Nations test towards a safer zone for now.

But the series is still well short of being the friendly games. Australia cited Kiwi forwards Adam Blair, the main target, plus Nathan Cayless and David Fa'alogo for a lifting tackle on Petero Civoniceva in the 45th minute of Saturday night's test.

The review panel of tournament commissioner Greg McCallum plus Australia's Geoff Carr and New Zealand's Tony Iro threw it out.

Kiwi coach Brian McClennan said: "They've got the right to query anything - but it shows their opinion was wrong."

Case closed, although only a fool would wager that the series has entered a peace zone, especially after Great Britain's violent warm-up match in Newcastle.

Test hostility has its place, but an escalation of last week's rancour was not needed at Melbourne.

This was an exhilarating match in front of a healthy 37,000 crowd.

Ultimately, you had to admire Australia's brilliance and composure, yet the Kiwis didn't deserve to lose.

But as a number of Kiwis conceded, they failed to close the game down when it counted. With eight minutes left at the enclosed Telstra Dome, Australia turned defeat into victory. There may be no more dangerous animal in sport than an Australian side staring defeat in the face.

Having fallen behind 15-8 after a Stacey Jones field goal which set Kiwi hearts racing in anticipation of a thrilling victory, the Australians struck with two tries to win.

The result, after Australia's bitter 30-18 win in Auckland, leaves the series back at most people's square one. Australia will surely make the Sydney final on November 25, with the Kiwis favoured over Great Britain to be their opponents.

The Kiwis tasted a bitter pill in Melbourne, even though defeat in these contests has a new sugar coating. The sweetener might be called tournament-speak, the talk of building through the series. It can soften a full blow to the chin, but not by much.

Ironically, Australia - in the comfort of victory - sounded more disappointed than the Kiwis at times. This tells the story, not of Saturday night's match, but of Australia's historical dominance. The bad news for the Kiwis and Great Britain is that Australia's gift for withholding presents is alive and well.

When the incomparable veteran Darren Lockyer skilfully set the young Greg Inglis free down the left hand touchline for a 65-metre try to cut the Kiwi lead to a point, it was one generation of Australian winner handing the torch to another. Not that Lockyer is on the way out yet.

In the still, climate-controlled dome, Inglis ran like the wind. He is such a glorious sight, that there was a temptation to offer congratulations to Kiwi fullback Brent Webb for getting so close to him.

Webb certainly got closer to Inglis than the media did to the Kiwi fullback. Webb was the most visibly disconsolate of the Kiwis.

Australia then provided the killer blow in the 78th minute. Karmichael Hunt powered between Steve Matai and Stacey Jones and fed Mark Gasnier who charged over for the try. The Kiwis were disappointed referee Ashley Klein did not check for obstruction.

"We're all shattered," said McClennan, "but we can see we're getting better and if we improve each week we're going to go close to jagging that win."

Kiwi captain Ruben Wiki said: "To lose in those circumstances is heart wrenching."

Stuart claimed the only real Australian highlight was character.

"We were down on our performance and the players are down on themselves. We've got to improve. The Kiwis lifted their game and we didn't lift our standard."

Even Inglis wasn't spared despite scoring two tries, the first of which gave Australia a 6-4 halftime lead after he brushed off Jones.

Stuart said: "The talent he delivers - only a dozen who have played our game have been able to do it. But he'll be so much better - he doesn't get involved enough. He just floats around."

Lockyer was also delighted with Australia's toughness, if not the performance.

"They [his players] are winners - they're not playing for Australia for no reason. They can play the game, but they've also got character.

"If we're in the same situation again, we'll be confident. But the bigger issue is to make sure we're not in that position."