League: Kiwis back in Tri Nations contention

Motu Tony goes over the try line to score. Sandra Mu / Getty Images

New Zealand 18 Great Britain 14

The Kiwis took a big step towards fulfilling a hotel booking in Sydney after they picked up their first win of the Tri Nations last night.

So confident are the Kiwis of making the Tri Nations final on November 25, they have made a reservation to move into a Sydney hotel four days before the final Australia-Great Britain match.

After the snub of last year, when tournament organisers booked accommodation for the Aussies and Lions - but not the Kiwis - the NZRL took matters into their own hands. You can call it arrogant if you like, NZRL chairman Selwyn Bennett said. "I don't care. We believe we are going to be in the final and we want to give the players the best chance of winning."

To do that, the Kiwis first have to make the final and they took a major step to Sydney at Christchurch last night.

They still have to beat Great Britain in Wellington in a fortnight and hope the Kangaroos dispatch the Lions twice but it's at least looking more likely than a week ago after the heartbreaking 20-15 defeat in Melbourne.

It wasn't pretty and was at times in the balance but they at least got their Tri Nations campaign off the mark. Perhaps the titanic battles against Australia in the past fortnight had taken their toll on Brian McClennan's side and last night's encounter was no less physical.

After the drama of the past two weeks, it was perhaps inevitable there would be talking points in the early exchanges.

Another chapter of Hakagate was played out last night when Great Britain kept their promise by fanning out as if awaiting the kickoff as the Kiwis sounded out their challenge in isolation on halfway.

Then bad-boy British prop Adrian Morley, making his return from yet another suspension, put his stamp on the competition.

Brian Noble had instructed his side to do it and he had also given his forwards free run to soften up the Kiwis.

In the absence of the baseball bats and flick knives Noble joked they weren't able to take on the flight with them, Morley opted for a coathanger instead which he used on Ruben Wiki as early as the third minute.

Morley will make yet another trip to the judiciary after being put on report and, if judged under NRL rules, he can expect to spend some more time on the sidelines.

They might also take a dim view of a jab to the side of Brent Webb's head as the Kiwi fullback struggled to get back to his feet on the hour.

Both indiscretions were the worst examples of a physical Lions approach, although the Kiwis weren't exactly backward in their movements. It was the more legal approach of the Great Britain side that took its toll with Simon Mannering, Jason Cayless and David Fa'alogo struggling to finish the match.

Despite the fact it was the Lions' first game in the tournament, they were the ones who had the best when the ball was actually the focus of the match.

They played the pill with speed, dominated the ruck areas, Sean Long probed well with his kicking game and they found some purchase attacking down the right side.

They had only a Long penalty to show for it, however, and found themselves trailing at the break after Brent Webb collected a Martin Gleeson grubber on his own 20m line, fended off Brian Carney and then raced away to dot down by the posts.

It was certainly anyone's game at the break but it was the Kiwis who looked rusty when the match restarted. Webb carried the ball over the deadball line from the kickout and Stacey Jones missed touch with a relieving penalty kick.

They also survived a scare when five-eighths Danny McGuire lost the ball when diving for the tryline, with Webb punching the ball from his grasp a split-second before he would have grounded the ball.

Much to the relief of most of the 17,000-strong Christchurch crowd, they survived and took a crucial 12-2 lead when Motu Tony burst over after a sustained period of pressure.

When Iosia Soliola crossed for his third test try in only his third test in the 67th minute, the Kiwis were home.

Memories of last weekend's Melbourne test were revisited when the Lions scored two late tries through Paul Wellens and Gareth Ellis, closing the gap from 16 to four points.

But the second British try, set up by a deft chip from Long, was scored seconds before fulltime and the Lions did not get another opportunity to attack.

They can play a lot better and will need to play a lot better to retain the Tri Nations but at least the travel agent is still in with a shot of getting his cut.

New Zealand 18 (B. Webb, M. Tony, I. Soliola tries, S. Jones 3 gls)
Great Britain 14 (P. Wellens, G. Ellis tries, S. Long 2 gls, McGuire gl).
HT: 6-2.