League: Kiwis go down in dress rehearsal

Simon Mannering of the Kiwis offloads the ball. Photo / Getty Images

Australia struck a blow ahead of next weekend's Four Nations rugby league final with a comfortable 34-20 win over New Zealand in Auckland tonight.

The match at Eden Park was effectively a dead rubber, given that the two sides are due to meet again in Brisbane in seven days to decide the silverware.

However, the slick performance of the Kangaroos in front of 44,324 spectators will only serve to shorten the odds on their retaining the title.

The contest blew up briefly just before halftime when, in a mismatch of size, Kiwi back-up hooker Issac Luke and Australian prop David Shillington traded blows before Luke also took a swing at five-eighth Todd Carney.

English referee Richard Silverwoord decided Shillington was the initial aggressor and the resultant penalty goal allowed the Kiwis to close to 18-10 at halftime.

Before the test, the Kiwis fired up the crowd with a passionate rendition of new haka.

But it was Australia who made most of the early running.

Despite seven changes in their squad, including six in their starting 13, the Kangaroos started the more cohesive.

Their execution was also quicker and more accurate, and Shillington and fellow prop Matthew Scott made some good yards up the middle.

It took the Kangaroos just seven minutes to hit the front, when halfback Cooper Cronk went through a hole for an easy try.

After Kiwi skipper Benji Marshall got the home side on the board with a penalty, Australia went further ahead when they worked the ball wide quickly to outflank the defence for winger Brett Morris to go over.

Minutes later, it was the turn of centre Brent Tate to dot down, the former New Zealand Warrior spinning though two tacklers.

Skipper Cameron Smith landed his third consecutive sideline conversion to kick the visitors out to 18-2 before the Kiwis finally got their attack going.

Ben Matulino and Greg Eastwood make some strong runs when they came off the bench and Marshall began to be more of an influence both with ball in hand and with his tactical kicking.

A repeat set forced by a Marshall kick ended with interchange forward Frank Pritchard powering his way over the tryline.

Marshall's conversion and his penalty after the Luke incident make it a 10-point game.

But the Kangaroos were the first to strike in the second half, fullback Darius Boyd finishing off a slick backline move to dot down.

There was worse for the Kiwis when replacement Robbie Farah's grubber in-goal was pounced on by centre Chris Lawrence, before Morris got his second try via a set blindside move from a scrum.

At 34-10 down, the Kiwis did manage to stem the flow.

When Boyd failed to hold a bomb, Marshall latched on the loose ball and threw a trademark back-handed pass that put winger Jason Nightingale over.

Marshall was again instrumental when the home side got a further consolation as the five-eighth's run and another backflip pass produced a try for centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall.

AUSTRALIA 34 (B Morris 2 D Boyd C Cronk C Lawrence B Tate tries C Smith 3 T Carney 2 goals) bt NEW ZEALAND 20 (S Kenny-Dowall J Nightingale F Pritchard tries B Marshall 4 goals) at Eden Park. Crowd: 44,432.

- NZPA