Kiwis look on the bright side

SAME TEAMS, same ground, same high stakes . . . but when the Kiwis and Kangaroos finally go at it in the Anzac rugby league test today, the match shapes as being vastly different to what would have played out two days earlier.

Both teams wanted to go ahead with the game at Suncorp Stadium on Friday night, despite the torrential rain that had been falling for two days and waterlogged pitch that resulted.

It would have been a test where both teams would have employed the tactic of hitting the ball a few times up the middle then kicking high and deep, and hoping the fullback made a mistake.

There would have been plenty of big, crunching hits, but not much in the way of scintillating play.

But with the test rescheduled for the Queensland afternoon in forecast 28 degree Celsius heat at 4pm local time (6pm NZ time), there is now every chance of a cracking game of footy.

It will be the first time the Kangaroos have played the Kiwis in an afternoon test in Brisbane since 1978 and the Australian media are talking up their team’s prospects even more, believing Johnathan Thurston will flourish with a dry ball.

However, Kiwis back rower Greg Eastwood disagrees and says New Zealand will also benefit from the better weather.

‘‘With the sun coming out Shaun Johnson and Kieran Foran can both play well [ in those conditions], so we’ll see how it goes,’’ Eastwood said.

‘‘ Playing on Sunday afternoon for your country will definitely be different, but we train all year round in hot conditions and play on Sunday afternoons for our clubs.’’

Eastwood earned a late reprieve to make this Kiwis team. The 22- test veteran, who made his debut in 2007, only got the callupwhen Jason Taumalolo picked up a medial ligament injury last weekend.

‘‘It was unfortunate he’d been playing well Eastwood said.

‘‘ To get an injury the week before a test match is disappointing for anyone, but for me to get the callup was something I was over the moon about.

‘‘I’ve got to make sure I prove that I should be in the team and play real well.’’

A telling factor for the Kiwis could be the strength of their bench in what could be energysapping conditions. Being able to call upon Eastwood, Martin Taupau and Sam Moa when bodies for this Jason, year,’’ are getting tired could be crucial.

‘‘Any bench for Australia or New Zealand is going to be massive. When the energy levels come down a bit, the boys coming off the bench have really got to lift the side,’’ Eastwood said.

‘‘Myself, Martin [Taupau], and Sam Moa will come on and hope to lift the tempo again and try to get an edge.’’

The Junior Kangaroos beat their New Zealand counterparts 22-20 on the Gold Coast on Saturday, the difference coming down to one missed conversion. There was little between the two sides, who both played with plenty of intensity and flair, and there were numerous boilovers. Both teams scored four tries, but it was a missed attempt from out wide by Zack Dockar-Clay that proved the difference. The Kangaroos benefitted from back- to- back penalties early, resulting in a wonderful run through the New Zealand defence by Tepai Moeroa, who then flicked the ball outside him to waiting winger Brenko Lee, who jogged over. Junior Kiwis winger Joseph Manu hit back shortly after with a try on the right edge. But Robert Jennings, younger brother of Kangaroo Michael, spun out of a tackle to put Australia back in front in the 19th minute. Four minutes later Junior Kiwis five-eighth Te Maire Martin threw a huge dummy in front of the posts to create an opening for himself and strolled in for the try. DockarClay kicked the conversion to give the Junior Kiwis a 10-8 lead. Ttwo minutes before the break Valentine Holmes, who turned down the chance to play for the Junior Kiwis last year, scored a try after being first to a loose ball in the Junior Kiwis goal, after fullback Jamayna Isaako made a crucial mistake in reading the bounce of the ball. New Zealand had all the early pressure at the start of the second half and they got their third try when Dockar- Clay put Watson Heleta into a gap for a try and Dockar-Clay’s kick put the Junior Kiwis back in front, 16-14. Holmes kicked a penalty in the 59th minute to level the scores and they hit the front six minutes later when the man of the match Moeroa ran an angle to slide through the Junior Kiwis’ defence. Seven minutes from time Tony Tumusa sprinted down the left wing, dodged Holmes’ tackle and went in for the try, but DockarClay missed the conversion. The match finished with an all-in punch- up after Manu put a shoulder charge into the face of Australia’s Drew Hutchinson.