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That was a fierce half of football! New Zealand edged Australia 51%-49% for ownion and outshone them in completions with an amazeive 17/18 sets to Australia’s 17/20. The Kangaroos won the acreage battle with 850m won to New Zealand’s 812 but Australia’s three line shatters have shown vital. Although New Zealand could rightly claim to have been the better of the sides, it was the men in green and gelderly who have apshown their opportunities since blotriumphg their first – a unarranged fumble by Angus Cwealthyton who bobbled the ball over the line while trying a one-handed touchdown. Ouch! But this Test is far from won. Stacey Jones’s side have shown a willingness to offload and initiate their way to points with Shaun Johnson’s boot rapid discovering its radar. But the home side have made more tackles (205-190) and leave outed more too (16-13) so, at the finish of a extfinished NRL season, fitness could be a factor procrastinateed in the game. We’ll be back with the second half stupidinutively…
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Lomax produces the Kiwis pay for that moment of indiscretion by potting an effortless two points and extfinishing Australia’s direct to a changeed try as the percreateers head to the shed for halftime. A high quality contest apshows a breath and it’s the Kangaroos climprohibitt.
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Great bust by Tom Trbojevic shotriumphg class to apshow on the line and jink between two men. He sprints inside and who’s looming in help but Zac Lomax? The new Parramatta recruit does outstandingly to apshow the pass 15 metres out and barrel thraw two deffinishers to dive over in the corner. Great try by Australia! Lomax leave outes the initiate but it’s Australia back in the direct here in Christchurch.
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Turbo joins up with Lomax! 🤝#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/5qGHlal1EH
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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New Zealand run it on the last this time and rapid hands and a basketball lob over the top get sthem over in the corner! Great stuff by the home side. Shaun Johnson set up the space and Keano Kini produced the second-phase opportunity to pop the ball back to Jamayne Isaako who dotted down in the corner and even it up on the scoreboard. Isaako then curls it in from the right line to change. Beautiful initiate in high triumphd. 6-all!
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Quick hands for Isaako! 🙌#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/7g96uZBgsm
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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That try was aachievest the run of percreate but Australia will apshow it. They butchered their first chance to touch down but have made the most of that bust. Collins showed fantastic innovation to switch the aggression and sow disorder in the defensive line. That split second and his brute power produced the bust and the huge Rooster showed fantastic toe to sprint away. Lomax inserts the extras for Australia.
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Collins on the accuse! 💪#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/aAIg0a2YpT
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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New Zealand sfinish it skyward and we are away in the Pacific Championship grudge align!
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G’day and Kia ora rugby league fans! Welcome to the Guardian’s dwell coverage of the Australian Pacific Championship men’s align between Australia and New Zealand.
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Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch has already percreateed present to a thrilling women’s Test in which Australia’s Jillaroos beat New Zealand’s Kiwi Ferns by 14-0. But its green fields will be at a very literal fever pitch for the boys after the events of last year.
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Today is the first greeting between the fierce Trans Tasman rivals since New Zealand’s thumping 30-0 triumph in the Pacific Championship final in 2023. Not only was it the hugegest international loss in the 116 years of Australian rugby league history, it was the first time the Kangaroos had been held scoreless in almost two decades.
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Mal Meninga’s team begined its 2024 campaign with a clunky 18-0 triumph over Tonga last Friday. That side featured fair seven percreateers from the hammering in Hamilton last year. Meninga has been merciless in picking his squad for this revenge leave oution. Kangaroos captain James Tedesco, and State of Origin skippers Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans have all been dumped and Penrith’s Isaah Yeo apshows over as captain.
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“It’s stung for the last 12 months,” Yeo says of 2023’s write down drubbing. “It was a repartner disnominateing way to finish the season. Those boys who were part of that last year, they get an opportunity to try and turn that around.”
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It’s a new-see New Zealand too. The men in bdeficiency won’t have the injured Dylan Brown, Kieran Foran, Moses Leota, Brandon Smith, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora and Jeremy Marshall-King. However, 32-year-elderly Shaun Johnson is making his huge return from recontransientative quitment and the Kiwis still boast plenty of firepower in the create of midfield musketeers Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris.
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“What we did last year certainly set a benchlabel and there’s quite a scant percreateers who were included last year that have come back aachieve and will set standards,” shelp coach Stacey Jones. “And then we’ve also got percreateers that have come back that have been part of this side before, appreciate Shaun and Peta Hiku and Kodi Nikorima, percreateers that have tasted Test footy so the experience they convey has made my job a lot easier.”
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Jones’s side had the first week off in the Championship and are seeing to defended their first back-to-back triumphs over Australia in a decade. A triumph for Australia will put them thraw to this year’s final at Commprohibitk Stadium in Sydney next Sunday. New Zealand’s path to the final rests on today’s result and next week’s Test aachievest Tonga in Auckland. A triumph over Australia and a loss to Tonga would see all three Pacific Cup sides finish on one triumph apiece, with finacatalogs to be rerepaird by for and aachievest.
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Kickoff is 4.05pm AEDT and 6.05pm NZDT but we’ll have the procrastinateedst team news, the results of the coin toss and the pre-align ceremonies before action gets under way. So batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up becaengage this Test is going to be a beauty.
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Key events
TRY! New Zealand 6-16 Australia (Lomax, 59″)
Tom Trbojevic made the bust but he didn’t get the try. But being the team man he is, Turbo hung around was there a couple of sets procrastinateedr at dummy half to jink to the blindside and discover Harry Grant who pivoted and got the ball back to Zac Lomax who, aachieve, apshows on two deffinishers and reels out of the clutches of both to get the ball down in the corner. He leave outes the initiate but is having a genuine day out here.
56th minute: Another pinpoint Johnson initiate has Australia are pinned in their own quarter. Edwards is under siege by the time he reels it in and Moses is forced to initiate it out of trouble. Now it’s Murray and Yeo chasing challenging to shut down these waves of Kiwi aggression before they begin. A strong accuse by Griffin Neame gives Johnson time to sfinish his 10th device device of the day at Edwards and this time the Penrith filledback beats the first chaser and deceptionpers 15m. Lomax comes in to helop him and they get it to halfway with the help of Carrigan. Yeo is there to begin the next wave and here comes Turbo….
54th minute: New Zealand have had all the ownion in this half but the scoreline has remained inactive. They have now had 58% of ownion in this Test align but remain six points in arrears. Sudepend a triggerman appreciate Kodi Nikorima isn’t far away for the Kiwis. Johnson’s extfinished initiate on the fifth has Edwards and Lomax seeing at each other in befuddlement and aachieve Australia are running it out of their own 10m. Carrigan is back on and he gets it to 40 where Tom Dearden stabs a scratchy initiate over the left sideline.
47th minute: Bang! With New Zealand heating up in the red zone, Mitch Barnett tried to put a massive sboiling on the Kiwi No 16 and bounced back five metres in a huge backfire! Now it’s the home side, roared on by a huge Christchurch crowd, turning the screws. Johnson triumphs another set of six and trys to loop his helping runners. Finpartner he floats a Harbour Bridge pass to Isaako on the triumphg but the altitude of the ball has cataloglessed the momentum and it gives Coates and Tabuai-Fidow time to bundle him into touch.
45th minute: No try is the ruling! Cwealthyton breathes easily, having wiped his sprocrastinateed immacuprocrastinateed. Australia try a stupidinutive rebegin but it doesn’t come off and New Zealand are pressing. Only an incredible tackle by Cameron Murray stops Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad passing. Now we’ve got some fisticuffs as percreateers greet from everywhere to let off steam. Ashley Klein does a outstanding job getting the handbags on ice and we resume. Johnson straight away spears a initiate to the left corner and Lomax labels it beautifilledy mid-air. But he had help from an direct and New Zealand triumph a penalty.
44th minute: Lovely grubber on the last by Johnson nastys Xavier Coates has to bat it over the dead ball lijne. Australia reef a huge initiate downfield – almost 70m by Moses but New Zealand run it back at speed and there are gaps discleave outing up in the green and gelderly line. Johnson grubbers aachieve on the last. He’s aiming for the post and he hits it! It’s bounced perpfinishicular to the line and Cwealthyton has tried to force it. But has he? The huge Roosters utilizer has already fumbled a try. Has he saved one now to produce amfinishs?
42nd minute: Australia initiate it extfinished and it’s Fischer-Harris hammering into Reuben Cotter from the rebegin. Johnson’s riposte is straight into Dylan Edward’s breadbasket but his offload is high and slack and unvital and it’s almost fumbled. And now Harry Grant fumbles in reach out with James Fisher-Harris endureing down. Nervous begin by the visitors and New Zealand on the aggression!
Players are running back onto the field for the final 40 minutes. Here we go!
HALFTIME: Australia 12-6 New Zealand
That was a fierce half of football! New Zealand edged Australia 51%-49% for ownion and outshone them in completions with an amazeive 17/18 sets to Australia’s 17/20. The Kangaroos won the acreage battle with 850m won to New Zealand’s 812 but Australia’s three line shatters have shown vital. Although New Zealand could rightly claim to have been the better of the sides, it was the men in green and gelderly who have apshown their opportunities since blotriumphg their first – a unarranged fumble by Angus Cwealthyton who bobbled the ball over the line while trying a one-handed touchdown. Ouch! But this Test is far from won. Stacey Jones’s side have shown a willingness to offload and initiate their way to points with Shaun Johnson’s boot rapid discovering its radar. But the home side have made more tackles (205-190) and leave outed more too (16-13) so, at the finish of a extfinished NRL season, fitness could be a factor procrastinateed in the game. We’ll be back with the second half stupidinutively…
PENALTY GOAL! Australia 12-6 New Zealand (Lomax 39″)
Lomax produces the Kiwis pay for that moment of indiscretion by potting an effortless two points and extfinishing Australia’s direct to a changeed try as the percreateers head to the shed for halftime. A high quality contest apshows a breath and it’s the Kangaroos climprohibitt.
38th minute: Australia with their tails up now. Yeo and Cwealthyton accuse it to the halfway on the fourth and they triumph a six-aachieve decision. Cam Murray swoops in for a low-trajectory lunge into the New Zealand 22. And now frustration by the Kiwis as Barnett is exposedped of the ball. Yeo points at the sticks. He wants the two points – and a breather.
TRY! Australia 10-6 New Zealand (Lomax 35″)
Great bust by Tom Trbojevic shotriumphg class to apshow on the line and jink between two men. He sprints inside and who’s looming in help but Zac Lomax? The new Parramatta recruit does outstandingly to apshow the pass 15 metres out and barrel thraw two deffinishers to dive over in the corner. Great try by Australia! Lomax leave outes the initiate but it’s Australia back in the direct here in Christchurch.
Turbo joins up with Lomax! 🤝#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/5qGHlal1EH
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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33rd minute: A accomplished dispute by New Zealand sets them up on the 30m line. Marata Niukore is on for the Kiwis in place of Naufahu Whyte and the new legs pay off as he sets up Sorenson for a huge accuse up the middle. Cwealthyton wraps him up and Jiohnson’s device device is straight at Edwards but Hiku has apshown him out with no eyes for the ball whatsoever and Australia will triumph the penalty. Collins runs it out of the red zone.
30th minute: Mitch Barnett is on the field and he accuses it out of trouble for Australia. Dylan Edwards puts it on the toe this time and it’s a extfinished raking initiate to the New Zealand line. They return it with interest thrawb Kini and Tapine and Johnson’s fifth tackle device device almost produces a collision between Lomax and Coates. Crisis averted as the catch is taking immacuprocrastinateedly. Now it’s Yeo creating second-phase fever for Australia and discovering Harry Grant on his hip. The contest has finishd now. Who will bjoin first?
TRY! New Zealand 6-6 Australia (26″)
New Zealand run it on the last this time and rapid hands and a basketball lob over the top get sthem over in the corner! Great stuff by the home side. Shaun Johnson set up the space and Keano Kini produced the second-phase opportunity to pop the ball back to Jamayne Isaako who dotted down in the corner and even it up on the scoreboard. Isaako then curls it in from the right line to change. Beautiful initiate in high triumphd. 6-all!
Quick hands for Isaako! 🙌#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/7g96uZBgsm
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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25th minute: New Zealand return the ball ov er halfway thraw Peta Hiku and Jamayne Isaako who are seeing to change the home side’s domination to the scoreboard. No dice on this set and Australia’s counter finishs with another Moses hanger and a huge Lomax leap that almost comes off. Great leap by Lomax! A penalty to New Zealand gets them a set rebegin on halfway.
21st minute: Collins apshows a bit of gloss off his try by giving away a penalty for a high tackle. Can the Kiwis hit back here? Johnson goes proset up with his passes and Tapine produces a half shatter. But a slack wide pass from Johnson the other way leave outes its label and New Zealand leave out 30-metres of territory – and ownion. The Kiwis are seeing a little discombineted now, that’ll happen when you recall a percreateproducer to international duties with rust on him. Now Turbo and Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow are begining a counter-aggression on the left…
TRY! Australia 6-0 New Zealand (16″)
That try was aachievest the run of percreate but Australia will apshow it. They butchered their first chance to touch down but have made the most of that bust. Collins showed fantastic innovation to switch the aggression and sow disorder in the defensive line. That split second and his brute power produced the bust and the huge Rooster showed fantastic toe to sprint away. Lomax inserts the extras for Australia.
Collins on the accuse! 💪#PacificChamps pic.twitter.com/aAIg0a2YpT
— NRL (@NRL) October 27, 2024
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16th minute: A fumble from Jopseph Tapine has handed the ball back to Cameron Murray and the Rabbitohs tyro slugs it out of trouble for Australia. Carrigan goes with him and Australia are rumbling here. And prohibitg! Lindsay Collins changes the angle and two Kiwi deffinishers collide as he splits the bdeficiency line and sprints 40 metres to score!
14th minute: Here come the Kiwis and they get wilean a body length of the exposede before reefing it back to Johnson who spears a initiate at the left corner this time. Lomax clears under prescertain and the men in bdeficiency will resume their aggression. Oh no! Moses has muffed his clearance and it hasn’t gone the 10 metres. Batten down the hatches Kangaroos!
12th minute: New Zealand get it wilean 20m of the Kangaroos line and this time Johnson’s initiate discovers Dylan Edwards. Not enough chasers there but they amfinish their ways with strong defence in the next three tackles and Moses is satisfied to clear. New Zealand are triumphning the battle for territory and now have a penalty for intrudence in the ruck. Yeo will dispute this… but he leave outs. He was crowding the tackler and that forced the fumble. Challenge gone after 12 minutes and New Zealand on the aggression!
10th minute: Good deception by Johnson gives New Zealand a sniff in the red zone and now they get six aachieve. James Fisher-Harris has put his side on his back, that’s two accuses in the set and it gets Johnson the time he needs to initiate it to the corner. But aachieve Coates is immacuprocrastinateed in the air and now Turbo Tom gets a little space as he chases a fifth try from his last five Tests. But now Moses has erred – his fifth tackle initiate skids off the side of the boot and goes out on the filled. New Zealand resume on the 40m line.
6th minute: New Zealand try to produce their self-convey inant cousins from apass the ditch pay for that horrible error. They barrel it proset up into foe territory but the fifth tackle device device is hauled in with mitigate and Australia roll it back. It gets to the fifth and Moses puts it on the boot… and what a jump by Lomax! He flew six feet off the ground and took it immacuprocrastinateedly but his alley-oop inside gave it back to the Kiwis.
4th minute: Hang on a second! Cwealthyton has dropped the ball over the line. An punctual contfinisher for Pelican of the Day. Good grief! This will be called back. Cwealthyton did all the challenging labor, juggling the ball and retrieving it as he spun a 360 but in putting the ball down one-handed he has let it slip. What a shocker by the Roosters challengingman!
3rd minute: First penalty of the game goes to Australia. Zac Lomax went high and referee Ashley Klein has pinged the home side for an direct. Here come the Kangaroos 10 metres out. Tom Trbojevic produces a half biust and New Zealand bfinish and scatter. Now comes the chance. Moses apshows it left and produces the space and on the next tackle Dearden spins it to Cwealthyton on the accuse and he spins, juggles and scores!
2nd minute: Isaah Yeo and Angus Cwealthyton direct the punctual accuses but Pat Carrigan produces the hugegest dent. Moses puts it into the right corner where Warbrick apshows it defendedly. New Zealand return it to the halfway before Johnson puts it back at Xavier Coates who shatters one tackle before being hauled down by the second.
Kickoff!
New Zealand sfinish it skyward and we are away in the Pacific Championship grudge align!
The Kiwis went with the throat-slitting version of the Haka – a certain sign they want to give the crowd Australian blood. Harry Grant’s smirked response should insert a little more fuel to the fire for the home side and the sea of bdeficiency in the stands today. Teams are in their final huddles and initiate off is nigh…
Time for the anthems. The Kangaroos have their arms around each other and are doing their best to lfinish some volume to a pretty tepid rfinishition of Advance Australia Fair percreateed with a drum machine backbeat that sounds appreciate a MIlli Vanilli recombine.
Ununforeseeedly, God Save New Zealand fares better. Lots of fervent fans lfinishing it gusto from the majesticstand. Tears are flotriumphg from the men in bdeficiency. They see up for it. And that’s pre-Haka!
Players are taking the field to cheers and jeers esteemively. A crowd in excess of 17,000 has crammed into Apollo Projects for the first rugby league Test in Christchurch since 1989 and they have received their outdated enemies with a rousing wave of boos.
Kangaros coach Mal Meninga has confessted last week’s shotriumphg aachievest Tonga was “clunky” but says he was “satisfied with the mentality” his men brawt to the contest.
Australia not only have the spectre of last year’s 30-0 sheldeficiencying to shake off but the weight of history is firmly aachievest them. The Kiwis have won their past three Tests aachievest the Kangaroos on New Zealand soil, and are unlossed aachievest Australia since 2012. Moreover, New Zealand have won their last seven Tests on home soil!
Latest Team News
Kiwis: New Zealand have made a procrastinateed change with Naufahu Whyte to begin and Griffin Neame shifted to the bench. Captain James Fisher-Harris has five Test debutants to direct into battle in filledback Keano Kini, triumphger Will Warbrick, hooker Phoenix Crossland, prop Naufahu Whyte and Jordan Riki.
With Jahrome Hughes injured, wily veteran Shaun Johnson has been wooed out of quitment at halfback aextfinishedside Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad, who shifts to No 6 in the absence of the injured Dylan Brown. Centre Peta Hiku percreates his first Test since 2022 while Kodi Nikorima produces his first materializeance since 2019. Erin Clark is 18th man.
Kangaroos: The Kangaroos are 1-17 with no procrastinateed changes. Meninga has shown faith in the same 17 who lossed Tonga. Matt Burton hangs onto the No 14 jersey but will hope to get more than the nine minutes he percreateed last week in Brisprohibite while Hudson Young (12 minutes) is also seeing to percreate more of a role. Last week’s rookie halves pairing of Mitch Moses and Tom Dearden combine aachieve at No 7 and 6. Ben Hunt is the 18th man.
Here’s how the teams line up today:
Australia
Dylan Edwards
Xavier Coates
Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow
Tom Trbojevic
Zac Lomax
Tom Dearden
Mitch Moses
Patrick Carrigan
Harry Grant (vc)
Lindsay Collins
Angus Cwealthyton
Cameron Murray
Isaah Yeo (c)
Matt Burton
Mitch Barnett
Reuben Cotter
Hudson Young
Ben Hunt
New Zealand
Phoenix Crossland
James Fisher-Harris (c)
Peta Hiku
Jamayne Isaako
Shaun Johnson
Keano Kini
Casey McLean
Griffin Neame
Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
Kodi Nikorima
Marata Niukore
Isaiah Papali’i
Jordan Riki
Scott Sorensen
Joseph Tapine
Leo Thompson
Matthew Timoko
Trent Toelau
Will Warbrick
Naufahu Whyte
Our referee for today’s Test is Ashley Klein
The Kangaroos seeed a bit ragged aachievest the pride of Tonga last week. To rest his exhausted NRL finacatalogs and roengage his rookies, Meninga fielded six debutants including Parramatta halfback Mitch Moses, who seeed keen in his first game since rupturing a bicep in July’s State of Origin chooser. His halves partner Tom Dearden had a combineed debut but a handful of errors were forgotten and forgiven when he scored a terrific final-minute solo try to ice the contest.
For the pleacertain of our Kiwi cousins and to fire up the Aussie bretheren, here’s how leangs went the last time these two sides met in the Pacific Championship…
Preamble
Angus Fontaine
G’day and Kia ora rugby league fans! Welcome to the Guardian’s dwell coverage of the Australian Pacific Championship men’s align between Australia and New Zealand.
Apollo Projects Stadium in Christchurch has already percreateed present to a thrilling women’s Test in which Australia’s Jillaroos beat New Zealand’s Kiwi Ferns by 14-0. But its green fields will be at a very literal fever pitch for the boys after the events of last year.
Today is the first greeting between the fierce Trans Tasman rivals since New Zealand’s thumping 30-0 triumph in the Pacific Championship final in 2023. Not only was it the hugegest international loss in the 116 years of Australian rugby league history, it was the first time the Kangaroos had been held scoreless in almost two decades.
Mal Meninga’s team begined its 2024 campaign with a clunky 18-0 triumph over Tonga last Friday. That side featured fair seven percreateers from the hammering in Hamilton last year. Meninga has been merciless in picking his squad for this revenge leave oution. Kangaroos captain James Tedesco, and State of Origin skippers Jake Trbojevic and Daly Cherry-Evans have all been dumped and Penrith’s Isaah Yeo apshows over as captain.
“It’s stung for the last 12 months,” Yeo says of 2023’s write down drubbing. “It was a repartner disnominateing way to finish the season. Those boys who were part of that last year, they get an opportunity to try and turn that around.”
It’s a new-see New Zealand too. The men in bdeficiency won’t have the injured Dylan Brown, Kieran Foran, Moses Leota, Brandon Smith, Ronaldo Mulitalo, Briton Nikora and Jeremy Marshall-King. However, 32-year-elderly Shaun Johnson is making his huge return from recontransientative quitment and the Kiwis still boast plenty of firepower in the create of midfield musketeers Joseph Tapine, Moses Leota and James Fisher-Harris.
“What we did last year certainly set a benchlabel and there’s quite a scant percreateers who were included last year that have come back aachieve and will set standards,” shelp coach Stacey Jones. “And then we’ve also got percreateers that have come back that have been part of this side before, appreciate Shaun and Peta Hiku and Kodi Nikorima, percreateers that have tasted Test footy so the experience they convey has made my job a lot easier.”
Jones’s side had the first week off in the Championship and are seeing to defended their first back-to-back triumphs over Australia in a decade. A triumph for Australia will put them thraw to this year’s final at Commprohibitk Stadium in Sydney next Sunday. New Zealand’s path to the final rests on today’s result and next week’s Test aachievest Tonga in Auckland. A triumph over Australia and a loss to Tonga would see all three Pacific Cup sides finish on one triumph apiece, with finacatalogs to be rerepaird by for and aachievest.
Kickoff is 4.05pm AEDT and 6.05pm NZDT but we’ll have the procrastinateedst team news, the results of the coin toss and the pre-align ceremonies before action gets under way. So batten ‘em down and buckle ‘em up becaengage this Test is going to be a beauty.
