Almanac (International) Rugby League – Now that is Test footy at its best!

 

 

 

The Pacific Championships 2024, Week 3

 

Saturday:

In layman’s terms, Saturday’s matches pitted Fiji against the Cook Islands. For the aficionados, the Bulikula played the Moana before the Bati took on the Aitu. Fiji was successful in both matches, comfortably winning the women’s match 18-6 before running away with the men’s game 56-6. The Bati were particularly impressive after their modest performance against the Kumuls the previous weekend. Ten tries to one tells the story pretty much. The Bulikula v Moana game was willing but the Fijian girls were always a step up of anything the Cook Islands could throw at them.

 

Sunday:

But all eyes were on the two clashes between New Zealand and Australia. NZ won both games last year and so a lot was on the line for the Australians this time around.

 

In the Ferns v Jillaroos game, the first half of the match was marred to some extent by poor handling by both sides. A Tiana Penitani try just before the break was all that separated the two sides although both had other opportunities to get on the board. The Jillaroos became more dominant as the game went on with tries to Tamika Upton (a stepping solo effort) and Jessica Sergis (after running a clever line) midway through the half which settled the issue. Try as they might, the Ferns just couldn’t find a way through and were held scoreless for their first time in their history.

 

With no disrespect meant to the above six teams, the Kiwis v Kangaroos game was the highlight of the weekend – by the proverbial country mile! International rugby league has been on life support for decades. Only us old-timers remember those great Ashes tours and gritty Anzac matches that lit up the 60s, 70s and 80s. But the ‘product’ got too big and too commercial to continue on in that fashion. State of Origin provided an alternative that lacked little by comparison. In fact, it came to dominate the game and was seen as the pinnacle of the code. Figures like Wayne Bennett and Mal Meninga have been big supporters of the international concept but have not been supported too much by those in charge of the game. The Pacific Championships are a supposed alternative to try to grow the code in the Pacific. And, fair play, there have been considerable advances made, especially in places like Tonga, PNG and Samoa. But international Test rugby league at its best has been pretty hard to find.

 

That’s why I rate Sunday afternoon’s game in Christchurch as one of the best games of the year and the best international match for years. This was Test rugby league at its very best! I don’t listen to the commentators when I watch the footy. You’ll understand why. I know enough about the game to be able to tell what’s going on. I let the players do the talking and, in this game, they were coming through loud and clear.

 

Before I go any further, full credit to referee Ashley ‘Calvin’ Klein who, I thought, had a great game. He blew the whistle when he had to, but only when he had to. He allowed the players to sort it out themselves within the spirit of the game, allowing play to flow and giving some latitude in the ruck when a more pedantic ref would have come up with twice or three times as many blasts of the thunderer. Well played, Mr Klein!

 

The game was a great mixture of classic, old style ‘rip into it’ footy and the athleticism of the modern game. Even the scoreline, 22-10, sounded like 1968. There was one significant difference – there was none of the overt violence of yesteryear. Played at warp speed and with total intensity, the resultant match was a credit to every single player. No quarter asked, none given; ultra competitive, but played in a good spirit. It’s hard to understand how they can do it physically (and mentally).

 

Yes, there were a few errors along the way, most notably Crichton’s awful bombing of a try early on. The Kiwis were a bit rusty early on after not having had a gallop for several weeks. But in terms of intensity, this was remorseless throughout. In particular, the first twenty minutes of the second half was simply beautiful. Both sides tore into each other relentlessly with a physicality that makes you wonder why or how there can’t be serious injuries. No-one shirked the issue; they just went at it hammer and tongs!

 

The only scores in the first half came from exceptional pieces of play. Lindsay Collins benefitted from a great inside ball from Mitchell Moses and sprinted through some wrong-footed defence at a speed you wouldn’t have thought he could muster. Jamayne Isaako was on the end of a sweet Kiwi play that stretched the Kangaroos beyond the limits of their elasticity. Tom Trbojevic showed absolute class to get outside his man, break the line and set up Zac Lomax who still had work to do to power past the defence.

 

I seem to keep repeating the old adage that ‘defence wins games’ and it was the case yet again in this match. Early in the second half when they trailed 6-12, the Kiwis had six consecutive sets of possession in the Kangaroos’ defensive 20-metre zone. Six sets! And with the bonus of the crafty Shaun Johnson to pull any number of tricks out of his not inconsiderable bag of them. Thirty plus tackles and no score later, The Hammer and Xavier Coates bundled Isaako into touch to break the siege before Zac Lomax rubbed salt into Kiwi wounds moments later with his second try after clever lead-up work from Harry Grant.

 

But there was still a moment of Kiwi magic to come when a well weighted, cross-field kick from Shaun Johnson saw Lomax allow Will Warbrick to take the ball uncontested about 10 metres out from the line. Lomax, like everyone else, expected Warbrick to turn back infield and committed himself to a straightforward tackle to end the set. But Warbrick had other ideas, instead feinting infield but then blind turning to his outside to completely outfox Lomax who was left grasping at thin air as Warbrick scored untouched. Oh so clever from the debutant!

 

The final nail in the Kiwi coffin came when Dylan Edwards (so much better this week) was put into a gap by Moses, broke the defensive line and drew the fullback before passing inside to the supporting Moses who scooted away, also untouched. Game over.

 

Harry Grant won the Man of the Match award but to highlight any single player would be a disservice to the other 33. To me, it was simply rugby league at its very best, played between two teams who didn’t know any other way to go at it than full bore. If these two sides meet again in the final, we can only hope it will be as good as this game.

 

 

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