Rugby League: Champion Aussies just too good

By KIP BROOK

MANCHESTER - New Zealand were punished for a string of uncharacteristic errors by one of the great Australian sides in the rugby league World Cup final in Manchester yesterday.

The Kiwis were pinned on defence for much of the first half and ran out of steam as Australia once again rammed home their superiority, scoring seven tries to two in a worthy performance of a champion side.

The final score of 40-12 reflected the difference between the sides.

It was a disappointing finish to a Kiwi campaign that promised so much. They wanted to atone for other failures by New Zealand's rugby, netball and cricket teams, who have suffered in recent times at the hands of Australians.

The pressure may have been too much because they made several unforced errors which saw their hopes dashed after an hour.

Coach Frank Endacott said it was a bitterly disappointing and emotional day.

"We made mistakes, our kicking game wasn't good and Australia played really well," he said. "We just have to be big enough to get over it.

"It is an emotional time for me in my last test, but we just never had the amount of ball we needed to beat them."

Australia led just 6-0 at halftime, but the signs were ominous that the Kiwi defence was about to crack.

They made half-a-dozen handling errors which kept them pinned back for most of the first spell, and they were forced to make 50 tackles more than Australia, an effort for which they paid the price later.

The Kiwis fed possession to the most dangerous player on the pitch, Wendell Sailor, instead of kicking to Mat Rogers.

Endacott said he tried several times to get a message out to the players to keep the ball away from Sailor.

The tactic finally changed in the second half, but the kicks were often misdirected and simple errors crept into their game.

Craig Smith, who had an outstanding game, Quentin Pongia, Stephen Kearney and Ruben Wiki tackled themselves to a standstill and the holes started opening in the Kiwi line.

Smith, Kearney and Pongia were slumped with their hands on their knees in just the 46th minute when Nathan Hindmarsh scored Australia's second try, running off skipper Brad Fittler.

Lesley Vainikolo put New Zealand back in the game with a try from a Stacey Jones' kick, but Australia bounced straight back with a try by Darren Lockyer in the 52nd minute.

Tonie Carroll scored to give the Kiwis a little glimmer at 12-18, and Robbie Paul came off the bench to spark some life.

But the Aussies opened the Kiwis up like a can of beans when Sailor scored in the 68th and 72nd minutes. Tries from Fittler and Trent Barrett were the cream on the cake.

As the Australians celebrated in their dressing-room afterwards, the battered Kiwis sat in stony silence in their's, trying to come to grips with the pain of another big loss after being in the hunt with 20 minutes to go.

The Aussies have been world champions since 1975 and New Zealand will have to wait four years before they get another crack.

Endacott said his players spent so much of their energy in tackling the Australians that they ran out of gas after an hour.

"That took its toll in the second half. We thought we might get back in the game at 12-18 and we didn't. It was too tough.

"But it wasn't in our plan to kick to Sailor - that was our mistake.

"We'll rise above this and a lot of these young Kiwis will get another chance in 2004.

"I'm proud of our guys, but Australia once again were too good."

New Zealand captain Ritchie Barnett said he thought nerves may have got to his side as they faced up to the country's second appearance in the final following their 1988 defeat by Australia.

"But the Aussies took it to us, they are a quality side and they deserve the credit."

Australian coach Chris Anderson rated his team as one of the best to leave Australia. The victory took Australia's tally of World Cups to nine, including the last six in a row.

"I think this is a super quality side," Anderson said. "It's the best side I've ever worked with and I'd say it's probably one of the best to ever leave Australia.

"They've got so many options and have such individual talent, it's just been a joy to work with them and there's a lot more to come, too."

Fittler, who has played in three victorious World Cup teams, said he had never before been so nervous before a match.

"It was a pretty quiet dressing-room before the game, but we all lived up to expectations and everybody played well," he said.

Man-of-the-match Sailor ended the tournament as top try-scorer with 10.

Australia 40 (W. Sailor 2, M. Gidley, N. Hindmarsh, D. Lockyer, B. Fittler, T. Barrett tries, M. Rogers 6 goals) New Zealand 12 (T. Carroll, L. Vainikolo tries, H. Paul 2 goals) Halftime: 6-0.

- NZPA

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