League: Second string Kiwis upset Aussie Invitational xiii

All eyes were on big-name halves Scott Prince and Trent Barrett in tonight's Tri Nations league curtain raiser, but unheralded half Jeremy Smith was the standout in New Zealand A's surprise 40-16 win over the Kangaroo Invitational XIII at Telstra Stadium.


Smith, who guided Parramatta's Premier League side to grand final success against the Sydney Roosters from five-eighth, was just as effective from halfback tonight, scoring a try and setting up several others.


Clive Churchill medallist Prince and Dragons captain Barrett had few opportunities to push their Test claims after the visitors dominated possession and field possession.


"Definitely, I needed a run, I think we all did," Barrett said.


"I suppose we were expecting it to be that hard, we've only had a half hour session with the young guys. It was a bit difficult but it was good experience and I think it's good for the young blokes.


"All of the young kids in our side tried real hard and they were up against a team where all of them could slot into the Test side."


Smith had little time to prepare for his clash with Barrett.


"I normally play at five-eighth for Parramatta, but Marcus Perenara pulled out early in the week and there was no one else to put in so I tried to step up," he said.


The 24-year-old half is off contract but hoped to re-sign with the Eels despite their wealth of halves.


"I'll back myself and see what I can do," he said.


The match, which was reduced to 35-minute halves, was an opportunity for fringe Test candidates to impress national coaches Wayne Bennett and Brian McClennan, with Bulldogs pair Willie Mason and Mark O'Meley and Dragons centre Matt Cooper the Australian players most likely to press for the main team.


Both Mason and Cooper crossed for tries in a well-beaten side, but the high-profile Australians were otherwise well-handled by the Kiwi defence.


Cronulla winger Luke Covell, who was selected for Country Origin this year, got the visitors on the board first with a try in the left-hand corner in just the fifth minute. The score remained 4-0 after Parramatta junior Kris Inu missed with the conversion.


The Kiwis went further in front after Newcastle flyer George Carmont accepted a beautiful pass from Smith to stroll over for a try in the 14th minute. Covell's conversion extended the lead to 10-0.


Smith was involved in the next two tries, scoring one in the 19th minute after some clever lead-up work from North Sydney hooker Billy Ngawini, before putting hard-running Penrith backrower Tony Puletua through for a try five minutes later with a brilliant inside ball. Covell's conversions gave New Zealand an imposing 22-0 lead.


The Australians finally got onto the scoreboard just before halftime, with controversial Test omission Cooper's converted try narrowing the gap to 16 points at the break.


But the game was all but over when Carmont grabbed his second in the 44th minute.


Both teams traded tries in the second half, the best a barnstorming effort by Tigers youngster Bronson Harrison right on the fulltime buzzer, with New Zealand never seriously threatened.


- AAP