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The new-look Kiwis acquitted themselves well at Suncorp Stadium last night, holding the Kangaroos in a tight contest for long periods of the game but in the end succumbing to the relentless Aussie grind.
Much had been made of the New Zealanders' inexperience and that was possibly the
difference. But they will take great heart from this contest into those at the end of the year.
Roy Asotasi had a boomer game as new captain.
Debutants Krisnan Inu and Greg Eastwood had solid starts to prove they should be around in future.
Ben Roberts was solid but will rue giving away a try from a dropped bomb, a turning point that came just after halftime to lend the home team dominance after an even first half.
The Kiwis needed some brilliance from game-breakers Benji Marshall and Sonny Bill Williams but they were well contained and forced into errors on several occasions.
It was the 67th minute before they scored when Simon Mannering chipped past the defence and wing for Manu Vatuvei to beat the cover. But by then it was too late.
Australia came home the stronger as usual, growing in confidence and control as the Kiwis tired, as usual.
Warriors prop Sam Rapira led the haka on debut, Willie Mason watching intently but quietly in front of the crowd of 35,241.
The Kiwis started strongly, with good variation in attack and early ground-gaining kicks from Marshall. The intensity was signalled by big hits from Mannering on Karmichael Hunt then Frank Pritchard on Brent Tate. It was underlined when Bulldogs clubmates Williams and Mason had a push-and-shove match.
The Kiwis' new fullback Inu settled in quickly, confidently covering the Australian kicks, so it was 34 minutes into the game before the Kangaroos sent him a bomb.
The Kiwis' short passing game among the forwards produced the first try-scoring opportunity at 15 minutes. Souths second rower David Fa'alogo got the ball away to Asotasi, who was pulled down a metre short.
Nathan Cayless lost the ball forward on the next play but the Kiwis should have received a penalty, all the Kangaroos off-side. Instead, they worked to the other end and after a big charge from Mason second rower Nathan Hindmarsh ran onto a ball from halfback Johnathan Thurston to score at 19 minutes.
Just three minutes later Mason barged over the Kiwis' line again but lost the ball in the tackle of Inu.
But the Aussies had the momentum and were lifting. The Kiwis were starting to look shaky. Inu put the last-tackle kick out on the full.
The Aussies then gifted them a relieving penalty after talking back to referee Steve Ganson and New Zealand forced a goal-line drop-out, their second real scoring chance.
Williams lost the ball in what appeared to be a strip and for the second time the Kiwis should have had a kickable penalty but didn't.
The New Zealanders continued to press, with Marshall opening a hole in a run-around with Greg Eastwood but then knocking on. Tate, captain Darren Lockyer and prop Luke Bailey - twice - had also dropped attacking ball and the Kiwis climbed back into the game. Australia had all the ball to end the half but could not break the New Zealand defence.
Four minutes into the second 40 Williams regained the Kiwis' sixth-tackle kick and they very nearly scored from broken play, Jake Webster losing the last pass 2m out. It was another non-completion the Kiwis could ill-afford. The Kangaroos went end-to-end, put up a bomb which Roberts lost a metre out and the ball rolled past him and was grounded by Aussie wing Matt King.
The Kiwis conceded a penalty. The Aussies took the territory and possession and put Tate in at the right wing. King crossed in the left off a long pass from Thurston but the ball was ruled forward.
Tate got close again but was penalised for running after being tackled.
Hunt was denied a try on an obstruction call.
Hunt sealed it minutes later with a soft try against a tiring defence and Lockyer benefited from a lucky bounce for a last-minute touchdown.
It might have been a lot worse had the Kiwis not battled with courage right to the end.
Kiwis: M. Vatuvei try; B. Marshall goal
Kangaroos: N. Hindmarsh, M. King, B. Tate, K. Hunt, D. Lockyer tries; J. Thurston 5 goals.
Halftime: Kangaroos 6-0.
