Champions Again – Kiwis 16, Kangaroos 12

Champions Again – Kiwis 16, Kangaroos 12

Brisbane, Australia, November 13, 2010 – A breathtaking 79th-minute try netted the Kiwis their third major title in five years when they beat the Kangaroos 16-12 in the Four Nations final at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane on Saturday night.

Australia was leading 12-10 in another intense, if not brutal, Trans-Tasman battle when Kiwi captain Benji Marshall played his hand yet again.

A lovely long pass freed up right centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall who released his winger Jason Nightingale centimetres in from the touchline. Nightingale got clear but, as the cover defence came at him, he rolled a pass infield where Marshall was backing up. He made a searching run towards the line only to be rounded up by Cooper Cronk. Somehow Marshall released the ball hoping to find Lance Hohaia in support but instead it was halfback Nathan Fien who snared the bouncing ball to cross and send his team-mates into delirium.

With his conversion Marshall sealed another memorable New Zealand win in a final – and one achieved yet again at Suncorp Stadium. It was in Brisbane that the Kiwis beat the Australians 34-20 to win the World Cup for the first time in history in 2008 and marked the country’s third triumph against the Kangaroos in a major final in five years following the 24-0 whitewash in the Tri Nations decider in Leeds in 2005. The two countries also met in the 2006 Tri Nations showdown in Sydney when the Kangaroos prevailed in golden point extra time, winning 16-12.

Saturday night’s encounter was also a chance to go to extra time when winger Jason Nightingale raced through to force down Marshall’s well-weighted grubber kick with nine minutes to play. That cut the margin to 10-12 with Marshall having the chance to tie the scores up 12-12. Instead his conversion attempt hit the right-hand upright, leaving the Kiwis with a job still to do to steal the match – and how they did in the most audacious way.

Earlier the Kiwis had gone into the final with a reshuffled side after it was confirmed regular centre Junior Sa’u hadn’t recovered from a thigh injury received in a rigorous training session on Wednesday.

His absence resulted in second rower Simon Mannering being switched to the centres, his Vodafone Warriors club-mate Ben Matulino starting in the back row and Sika Manu sealing a spot in the interchange bench. In another change, Sam McKendry was brought in to start at prop with Greg Eastwood going back to the bench.

The Kangaroos, with Darren Lockyer and Billy Slater back among their number, began the match as they had a week earlier in Auckland. With the help of an early penalty, they had field position and used it to their advantage by scoring first through a Cooper Cronk kick providing Brent Tate with a try. It was galling for the Kiwis knowing England touch judge James Child had made a glaring error in the lead-up, missing Brett Morris stepping on the touchline as he endeavoured to keep the ball alive. Two tackles later Tate scored.

But with Cameron Smith’s wide-angled conversion it was the only scoring until a few minutes short of halftime when the mercurial Marshall ghosted right and delivered a sweet pass for the prolific Kenny-Dowall to score his sixth try in as many Tests. Marshall’s superb conversion left the teams on level terms at 6-6 going to the break after a half that was also full of incident.

Not the least was an ankle injury which put Australian second Luke Lewis out of the match and also another knee injury for the luckless Brent Tate which would prevent him returning for the second half.

Right on halftime there was also some added spice when opposing props David Shillington and Adam Blair were the central figures in a melee which involved most of the players on the field.

While down to 15 fit players, the Kangaroos hung in as the match became a classic arm wrestle in the second half until the gallant Australians broke the deadlock with a Billy Slater try. Smith converted and the home side was 12-6 ahead, a margin it still held as the game entered the last 10 minutes.

By now the Kiwis had all their small men on the field, coach Stephen Kearney using both hookers Thomas Leuluai and Issac Luke as a dual strike force out of dummy half.

The pace of the game was catching up with the under-manned Kangaroos as the Kiwis began to make inroads.

Crucially Slater became a villain for Australia once again. Having made a howler of an error in the World Cup final in 2008, he committed another crime in this match, spilling a Marshall bomb in front of his posts when he was under no pressure.

While the mistake didn’t directly cost the Kangaroos, it illustrated the level of pressure the Kiwis were exerting, which was manifest as they struck through Marshall’s brilliance to arrange the winning try.

The New Zealanders had any number of heroes with loose forward Jeremy Smith one of standouts. A tight calf muscle had prevented him training since last Saturday’s Eden Park encounter but he was utterly inspirational in all he did, making 33 tackles without a missed tackle or an ineffective tackle.

Match details:

At Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane

Kiwis 16 (Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Jason Nightingale, Nathan Fien tries; Benji Marshall 2 conversions).

Kangaroos 12 (Brent Tate, Billy Slater tries; Cameron Smith 2 conversions).

Halftime: 6-6.

Referee: Tony Archer (Australia).

Crowd: 36,299.

Teams:

Kiwis: Lance Hohaia; Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Simon Mannering, Sam Perrett; Benji Marshall (c), Nathan Fien; Sam McKendry, Thomas Leuluai, Adam Blair; Bronson Harrison, Ben Matulino; Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Issac Luke, Greg Eastwood, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Sika Manu.

Coach: Stephen Kearney.

Kangaroos: Billy Slater; Brett Morris, Brent Tate, Willie Tonga, Lote Tuqiri; Darren Lockyer (c), Cooper Cronk; Matt Scott, Cameron Smith, David Shillington; Luke Lewis, Sam Thaiday; Paul Gallen. Interchange: Tom Learoyd-Lahrs, Nate Myles, Greg Bird, Kurt Gidley.

Coach: Tim Sheens.

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