League: Ruling leaves Vagana in the frame for Tri-Nations final

Nigel Vagana is free to play the Tri-Nations final in a week should the Kiwis make it, and Stacey Jones will play at halfback this weekend against France.

The Rugby League International Federation's three-man judicial panel decided Vagana's high tackle on Great Britain half Paul Deacon was careless rather than reckless or intentionally dangerous, and banned him for one week, ruling him out of the match against the Tricolors.

Deacon suffered breathing difficulties and was treated for two hours at the Huddersfield ground by team doctor Chris Brookes before being transferred to hospital, where he underwent surgery to repair fractures to the central plate of his face.

Vagana's defence centred on video footage showing Deacon falling in the tackle of Shontayne Hape as Vagana's arm connected.

Straight after the humiliating loss to the Lions, Jones asked Kiwis coach Brian McClennan if he could play against France. After Jones' new club, Les Catalans, agreed, McClennan immediately put the halfback in the starting side, the rest of which is yet to be named.

"Stacey wants to play. He wants to be with the team, which is cool," said McClennan. Jones will fly to Auckland after the France game for the birth of his third child and is not expected to be available for the final.

Vagana would have been in the team to play France because he is the only option they have at five-eighth, McClennan said. Motu Tony or David Faiumu would partner Jones in the halves.

Fullback Brent Webb has an injured thigh and has missed trainings but is expected to be okay by Saturday. Skipper Ruben Wiki will not play after surgery to repair a badly broken nose.

Also out with injuries are props Roy Asotasi and Paul Rauhihi. Asotasi has been carrying an ankle problem for some time and a foot strain has aggravated it.

Rauhihi's thigh injury is serious and he is in some doubt for the final.

The Kiwis will make the final at Elland Rd in Leeds if Australia win, if Great Britain win by 1-2 points - in which case victory would be sour because the Lions would lose out on a points countback - or if the Lions win by nine or more, which would eliminate the Kangaroos.

McClennan, who will catch an early return flight from France following the afternoon game to be in Hull for the evening match between Great Britain and Australia that will determine his side's fate, has no favourite.

Though there was some desire for revenge against Great Britain, he said the players knew they had let themselves down. He picks Australia to win this weekend.

"They have greater line speed, their kicking game is better, their kick-chase is better."

The Kiwis felt Australia were much tougher, he said, despite the Lions' big win at the weekend.

"If we'd given Australia 70 per cent of the possession in the first half as we did with Great Britain they would have killed us - it wouldn't have been six tries to three, it would have been much worse."

McClennan said the players were still hurting physically and mentally after the Huddersfield encounter.

Though the Brits had claimed the Kiwis employed intimidation tactics and foul play, McClennan put the heavy injury toll to both teams down to a loose game with lots of high-speed one-on-one contact.

The Kiwis had taken some positives from the loss: they rallied in the second half, scoring three tries to two; they created chances where Louis Anderson and Asotasi were denied by the video ref; and they came home strongly.

McClennan said the poor quality of training before the last test contributed to their downfall.

"We had our worst-ever training ... The pitch was like a cow paddock in Te Kauwhata. We took it to a ground with astroturf but it was smaller than a regular pitch, there was a 100-knot wind blowing and after 35 minutes we had to call it off."