NZ produce best test against Aussies in 40years
The match was unforgettable, but forget the scoreboard. In 40-odd years of watching the Kiwis, I can’t remember them dominating an Australian side the way they did at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.
A two-point margin didn’t do the Kiwis justice — the Kangaroos and All Blacks both have that remarkable ability to keep a match close even when they’ve been outplayed.
It could have been a 20-point margin, and probably would have had ferocious hooker Brandon Smith slammed the ball on the ground instead of a fortunately-placed Australian boot behind their tryline.
The Kiwis were also ripped off by league’s obsession with forensics when the reviewers went hunting for a knock-on like they were the CIA chasing Osama Bin Laden.
The Kangaroos were humiliated. Make no mistake. Smashed, crushed, destroyed.
New Zealand’s amazing 24-3 win over a glamour Australian side captained by the legendary Graeme Langlands in 1971 was a bit before my time. And it was a very different era. There were apparently 27 scrums in the match and 24 penalties.
But since the mid-1970s, it’s hard to recall a Kiwis side ever hammering Australia the way they did on Saturday night. There have been bigger margins but we’re talking about the manner of victory here.
This was a complete performance — power, aggression, tactics, skill. Nothing seemed to faze them, not the early Australian try, a failure to turn overwhelming dominance into a halftime lead, or a couple of incidents which didn’t go their way.
Rejuvenated prop Jared WaereaHargreaves led a Kiwis team that was totally dominant in the middle. He was my man of the match, no doubt about it.
There were a few candidates but the official man of the match Shaun Johnson — who certainly had a good test — wasn’t the correct answer. Try Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, Brandon Smith, Joseph Manu and his wonder pass . . . young guys who shone under intense pressure.
Whoever gave the award to Johnson must have become confused by so many good Kiwis performances that they pulled a name out of a hat. I’m sure even Johnson would be embarrassed.
Everything stemmed from that middle control, with WaereaHargreaves leading the way.
Vitally, it gave Smith a chance to shine at dummy half in his first test, and negated the running threat posed by his opposite Damien Cook.
It also ensured Kangaroos centre Latrell Mitchell — a scary reminder of Mal Meninga and Greg Inglis — didn’t get enough opportunities to create even more havoc out wide.
Australian coach Meninga will be disappointed with his middle forwards — the discarded Reagan Campbell-Gillard will be one of the first names picked for Saturday’s test against Tonga.
But Waerea-Hargreaves, a firebrand who has struggled to live up to his early test promise, was stunning. It ranks as one of the great performances by a Kiwi prop.
In a night of many heroes, two others deserve special mention.
Fullback Dallin Watene-Zelezniak,
Prop Jared WaereaHargreaves was my man of the match, no doubt about it.
who was denied a wonder try by the Manu knock-on ruling, was so impressive in his captaincy debut that Dally M winner Roger TuivasaSheck would be no certainty to reclaim his place right now.
And coach Michael Maguire has gone from the Denver mess to messiah, instantly proving the folly of only installing New Zealanders as national coach for so long.
You can’t ignore the Maguire effect here, because he found something in a Kiwis side we’ve hardly ever seen — it has to be more than coincidence.
On the down side, if the Kiwis can’t fix their wide defence, they will be dog tucker next time. But that can be seen as a work in progress for a scratch combination.
As for inevitable claims a great new Kiwis era has begun, believe that when you see it. Or in other words, we’ve heard all that before. But there is certainly cause for hope.
Aussie Maguire will, reportedly, insist he keeps coaching the Kiwis if he finds a new NRL club position.
But don’t leave anything to chance. If you see Maguire around anywhere, please ensure you make him feel welcome.