Anzac Test thread
- Thread starter stiggy
- Start date
Just got back from the game. I want more games in Canberra but the atmosphere was horrendous. Very little Kiwi fans and very little noise from the crowd. Australia didnt play that great but New Zealand fell to shreds in the 2nd half. Why was Cameron Smith kicking?! On a side note did any of you see Tom Waterhouse drop the C word? Lol
Matai's gone to Samoa ... Hurrell has committed to NZ, but given he lived in Tonga until a few years ago, I don't know if they're too keen to poach him. Inu and Whare would be fine with me. Didn't think SKD was terrible.
NZ really just missed the starch up the middle today, I thought, which will come back, injuries permitting.
Was I the only one a bit relieved Gidley wasn't out there for long? Just from an injury-avoidance point of view ... that's two players who have survived the rep weekend, seven to go!!!
I would much rather see a combined AUS and NZ team. It would really epitomise ANZAC day
Best of all would be to just forget the rep stuff until the end of the year, when sides have time to properly prepare. This game isn't even played on Anzac day, that's the Roosters Dragons and Warriors Storm games.
Thurston had an injured foot or something, which is why he wasn't kicking, btw.
Good point and thanks.
Junior11
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Another great win by the Aussies, never in doubt. It's always satisfying when they remind NZ just how far behind they are 
Lewis was tremendous coming on, his impact for Australia is always amazing, I don't know why his selection copped so much criticism. Boyd was solid all game, the spine absolutely dominated the game and all of the Australian forwards aswell. Hodges was brilliant. I have a feeling too that Uate would've made more of an impact than Morris, he didn't really do much and did the exact same thing Uate gets bagged for.
But overall, everyone from the Kangaroos were outstanding and it's an early warning of what the rest of the world is up against at the end of the year.
Lewis was tremendous coming on, his impact for Australia is always amazing, I don't know why his selection copped so much criticism. Boyd was solid all game, the spine absolutely dominated the game and all of the Australian forwards aswell. Hodges was brilliant. I have a feeling too that Uate would've made more of an impact than Morris, he didn't really do much and did the exact same thing Uate gets bagged for.
But overall, everyone from the Kangaroos were outstanding and it's an early warning of what the rest of the world is up against at the end of the year.
Nickwpearce
Banned
I thought the aussies were lucky to not be down 18 - 6 at the break, great game then it got boring quick like usual.. I would like it to be a contest but it never will be. The kiwis will be a LOT better at the end of the year, aussies will have to improve!!!
Junior11
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
The only one that maybe should've been a try was Glenn's knock on, that was 50/50 but you have to go with the original ruling as there was no 100% evidence that he planted it with pressure, it sort of just fumbled out of his hand. Australia were stuck in first gear for the first half but the second half they took it up to a level we all expect from them and really dominated the rest of the game. The Aussies will no doubt only get better which is a scary thought, it's the Kiwis that need plenty of improvement if they're any chance of beating England let alone Australia. It's been how many years since they've beaten either country?
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Edit: Actually it was Smith lol
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Edit: Actually it was Smith lol
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Aidos
Andrew 'Joey' Johns
You can't expect NZ to be at their best with a very understrength team, though
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He played the last 10mins when Australia had no ball, so all he really did was tackle.
Junior11
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Nah, only the last 10 minutes. He came of for Inglis but he seemed to play more in the middle, he did nothing wrong but nothing brilliant.
danielyou56
1997 & 2001...
He got about 10mins made a couple tackles didn't really get the opportunity to do anything with the ball.
Junior11
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Australia weren't at their best either though and still won by 20 points, I know NZ had injuries but even still you'd think it'd be closer if they were serious about being a top side. Their last win was in 2011... against Wales... they haven't beaten Australia or England in like 3 years and tonight they showed they're still a long way off. I have no doubt they'll improve but so will Australia, I just can't see them beating the Aussies any time soon.
rhugh89
Danny 'Bedsy' Buderus
Why this lopsided Test has to stay
By Paul Crawley
Daily Telegraph
April 20 12:00am
So does last night’s final 32-12 scoreline leave you feeling half full - or half empty?
This debate will no doubt rise this morning after Australia celebrated another thumping victory in the one-off mid-year Test.
No doubt the Kangaroos’ second half demolition of the under-strength Kiwis will leave many fans feeling flat today - and questioning the relevancy of this annual event Australia has now dominated since 1998.
Is it fair to ask the Kiwis to keep turning up to get hammered year-after-year by an Australian team that has so many advantages, and not just the fact this is one of the greatest Kangaroo line ups of all-time.
The other way of looking at it this morning is that we should be cheering the way Australia finished the job last night and not look at the final scoreline.
In the first half last night New Zealand were wonderful, putting on a performance worthy of the honour in which this match is named after.
In the end they simply got run over by a team at the top of their game and, perhaps more importantly, at full strength.
That was the difference last night.
So what of the future of the match?
All week, as we do every year at this time, we have debated the merit of this one-off event and its relevancy on the modern calendar.
And with the credibility of City-Country also under attack, the whole rep weekend concept is starting to look shaky - with support from most NRL clubs wearing thin.
But the fact is the event has its place on the rugby league calendar because it is locked in to the TV schedule for the next few years and last night is proof that international rugby league is heading in the right direction.
The match may have ended in Aussie avalanche but overall both teams should be proud of their effort.
Remember, the Kiwis took the field without six players either missing through injury or suspension.
Names like Simon Mannering, Sonny Bill Williams, Benji Marshall, Jeremy Smith, Sam Kasiano, Greg Eastwood.
Think about if Australia lost that much depth.
And at halftime it was still 6-all and New Zealand had three first half tries disallowed.
Like Kieran Foran said after the match, they could have well led 18-6 at the break.
But it wasn’t to be and with the bounce favouring Australia in the second half the floodgates opened.
But as a spectacle the first half last night was a savior for Test match rugby league.
It was also a sellout in Canberra last night - and you can bet when the TV ratings come out today the figures will speak for themselves, with the nationwide audience likely to eclipse any NRL match of the season.
In the lead-up to last night’s match respected league historian David Middleton rated this Kangaroo team among the greatest Australian sides ever fielded.
Bob Fulton remarked recently that as many as four of this current crop could well finish their careers as rugby league Immortals.
And despite the 20-point difference in the final scoreline last night, the first half alone was a step in the right direction for the international game with a World Cup coming up at the end of the year.
Both New Zealand and Australia should be proud.
By Paul Crawley
Daily Telegraph
April 20 12:00am
So does last night’s final 32-12 scoreline leave you feeling half full - or half empty?
This debate will no doubt rise this morning after Australia celebrated another thumping victory in the one-off mid-year Test.
No doubt the Kangaroos’ second half demolition of the under-strength Kiwis will leave many fans feeling flat today - and questioning the relevancy of this annual event Australia has now dominated since 1998.
Is it fair to ask the Kiwis to keep turning up to get hammered year-after-year by an Australian team that has so many advantages, and not just the fact this is one of the greatest Kangaroo line ups of all-time.
The other way of looking at it this morning is that we should be cheering the way Australia finished the job last night and not look at the final scoreline.
In the first half last night New Zealand were wonderful, putting on a performance worthy of the honour in which this match is named after.
In the end they simply got run over by a team at the top of their game and, perhaps more importantly, at full strength.
That was the difference last night.
So what of the future of the match?
All week, as we do every year at this time, we have debated the merit of this one-off event and its relevancy on the modern calendar.
And with the credibility of City-Country also under attack, the whole rep weekend concept is starting to look shaky - with support from most NRL clubs wearing thin.
But the fact is the event has its place on the rugby league calendar because it is locked in to the TV schedule for the next few years and last night is proof that international rugby league is heading in the right direction.
The match may have ended in Aussie avalanche but overall both teams should be proud of their effort.
Remember, the Kiwis took the field without six players either missing through injury or suspension.
Names like Simon Mannering, Sonny Bill Williams, Benji Marshall, Jeremy Smith, Sam Kasiano, Greg Eastwood.
Think about if Australia lost that much depth.
And at halftime it was still 6-all and New Zealand had three first half tries disallowed.
Like Kieran Foran said after the match, they could have well led 18-6 at the break.
But it wasn’t to be and with the bounce favouring Australia in the second half the floodgates opened.
But as a spectacle the first half last night was a savior for Test match rugby league.
It was also a sellout in Canberra last night - and you can bet when the TV ratings come out today the figures will speak for themselves, with the nationwide audience likely to eclipse any NRL match of the season.
In the lead-up to last night’s match respected league historian David Middleton rated this Kangaroo team among the greatest Australian sides ever fielded.
Bob Fulton remarked recently that as many as four of this current crop could well finish their careers as rugby league Immortals.
And despite the 20-point difference in the final scoreline last night, the first half alone was a step in the right direction for the international game with a World Cup coming up at the end of the year.
Both New Zealand and Australia should be proud.
Ven
Jeff Doyle
it's a shame gids didn't get more game time. But the benefit of gids and boyd getting a run in a test game is that gives them an opportunity to train and play with the best. Hopefully it will be enough to lift them to the next level for the knights!
i thought boyd looked a bit uncomfortable at times through the game though.
i thought boyd looked a bit uncomfortable at times through the game though.
There's only been three tests for NZ since the 2011 Four Nations.
I sometimes wonder if you're watching the same sport as the rest of us, Junior. You come up with some bizzare calls.
