League: Kiwis lose their way

Matt Utai tries to fight past the Australian defence. Picture / Fotopress

Australia 32 New Zealand 16


The Kiwis turned on a passionate and committed performance in front of the biggest crowd at a test in Brisbane since 1963 last night but conceded too many points through early penalties.


They were still running hard at the end and today the Kangaroos will be sore enough to recognise they were not always dominant in a six-to-three-tries victory.


There were lots of positives for the New Zealanders in the performance of newcomers and veterans. The team appeared to have a better balance than in recent Anzac tests and there were more attacking options, though not always the execution desired.


The 40,317 fans at Suncorp Stadium were treated to a real contest. The Kiwis made things hard for themselves in a first half where they gave away too many penalties.


The home side enjoyed a glut of possession and all the territory for the first 15 minutes and it told, Nigel Vagana conceding a penalty for a forearm facial in the tackle then the Aussies moving the ball wide quickly for Matt Sing to score.


The Kiwis had two chances to score, from an Aussie knock-on at the 30m mark that allowed Paul Rauhihi to get to within centimetres, then from a scrum after a second Aussie dropped ball, Jerome Ropati turning it back to them on the first tackle.


So the Kangaroos applied more pressure, Rauhihi got caught out with a loose ball and Shaun Berrigan toed it through and scored try two at 20 minutes.


Debutante Benji Marshall engineered the reply seven minutes later with a chip over the top on the last, then regathering to get the ball to Frank Pritchard who delivered a wide pass to wing Matt Utai.


But then discipline let them down, two penalties for hold-downs and one against wing Jamaal Lolesi for talking back to ref Russell Smith. The Kiwis were tiring from all the tackling and lock Tonie Carroll ran an angle to increase the gap again.


Darren Lockyer produced try four for the Aussies after Thomas Leuluai's last-tackle kick was charged then the Kiwis gave away another penalty for not being square at marker.


On halftime, Ropati brought the Kiwis back into it when he barged through tacklers and the first 40 minutes finished at 22-10.


Both sides started the second half with errors that gave the other chances, Australia striking first when Steve Price attracted tacklers and delivered the off-load for Willie Tonga to score.


Then Anthony Minichiello was first to Lockyer's grubber to goal, after Ropati had dropped the ball on the 30m line.


When Lockyer's pass went to ground in Ropati's tackle the Kiwi fullback grabbed the ball and out-sprinted the cover over 90m.


So Australia holds on to the Bill Kelly Trophy that commemorates a Kiwi serviceman who played for both countries. But there was plenty for the Kiwis to be positive about.


Leuluai and Marshall were good in the halves, the forwards laid them a good platform, there was major impact from David Kidwell, Frank Pritchard, Jason Cayless and Roy Asotasi. Ropati was good despite three errors at critical times in critical places.


New Zealand: M. Utai, J. Ropati 2 tries, J. Lolesi 2 goals.


Australia: M. Sing, S. Berrigan, T. Carroll, D. Lockyer, W. Tonga, A. Minichiello tries, C. Fitzgibbon 4 goals.


Halftime 22-10.