Michael Burgess: Kiwis' victory significant

James Graham of England is tackled by Sam Moa and Kevin Proctor of the Kiwis. Photo / Getty Images

The Kiwis victory at the Olympic Stadium was as important as any the team have achieved in the past 12 months.

The 9-2 win on Sunday didn't attract the headlines or hype of the 2014 Four Nations triumph in Wellington, or even the drought breaking Anzac test earlier this year.

But it could be just as significant.

It was vital for the belief of this team; as much as coach Stephen Kearney and the squad have talked about their brotherhood and great culture, it wouldn't mean that much if this team became just the third Kiwis side since 1971 to lose the first two tests of a series in England.

And what about the effect it will have on the new players in the squad, like Jordan Kahu and Kodi Nikorima? It's great to feel welcome and part of the team, but to play a tangible part in a test victory infuses belief and confidence like nothing else.

It also marks the first test victory win over England or Australia without Shaun Johnson or Kieran Foran since 2010. That alone is some vindication of Kearney's belief that the system and game plan can prevail no matter who is present, or more especially who isn't.

Of course with Foran or Johnson's attacking edge and organization, the margin in the English capital may have been greater, but that's a minor point.

The manner of victory was also important; as prop Sam Moa said, "it always feels better if you win like that instead of 10 or 20 points." Those grinding kind of victories, like Four Nations games in Wellington and Dunedin, are the ones that players appreciate and coaches cherish.

But to really assess the importance of Sunday's victory, just imagine if the result had gone the other way and England had sealed the series in London. With that momentum, and in front of a sold out stadium in Wigan, it's likely the home side would have prevailed in the third test as well, against a dispirited Kiwis outfit, and hence falling to only the third whitewash in the past five decades.

That would lead to inevitable scrutiny over some of Kearney's selections, and establish as fact that this set of players couldn't live without Johnson, Foran and Simon Mannering.

It would also mean that the Kiwis would arrive in England this time next year for the Four Nations with only miserable memories, unsure of their ability to perform on British soil.

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