The New Zealand Under 20’s beat the Aussies 30-10 in the Oceania Rugby U20s Championship at Bond University last night.
The Kiwis had the edge in nearly all aspects of rugby except the set pieces, but were able to finish the stronger thanks, in part, to an Aussie yellow card near the hour mark.
First half
The Aussies had a poor start when they couldn’t handle scrappy scrum ball and infringed to retain it. This gave Kiwi Super-boot 12 Jordie Barrett a chance to kick his first goal.
It was clear early that New Zealand would boss the breakdown for most of the night, because they got to the ruck earlier than the ball-watching Aussies. This meant they won the hit in the Aussie rucks to slow their delivery; but in the main were able to despatch their own ruck ball quickly away from tardy Aussie attempts to do the same.
Their first try was like men against boys. The ball was swung wide and when 10 Stephen Perofeta got a second touch he swerved through defenders before passing for winger Mason Emerson to score. At the quarter-hour mark the Kiwis lead 8-0 and the home team hadn’t fired a shot.
The situation looked ominous for the Aussies and it looked as though they were playing uncontested rucks as though some new law had been introduced overnight. And the ball work between their scrumhalf and flyhalf was so inferior that one thought that they hadn’t met, even on the team bus to the ground.
Moreover their clearances were poor, and at the other end of the ground they couldn’t threaten the Kiwi goal line.
But they were scrummaging well and had a slight edge in the lineout-ball-not lost department. And, when you looked at the scoreboard it wasn’t ticking over in favour of the Blacks—then when the score changed it was for an Aussie penalty goal !!
They were doing something right but it wasn’t handling the greasy ball in the humid conditions; nor were the visitors holding onto it.
Half-time score: New Zealand 8 – Australia 3.
Second half
The Kiwis started better after the break and and from a scrum set play they flooded through with scrummie Sam Nock doing the major damage, which set up lock Quinten Strange to score from a pick-and-go.
But a few minutes later the Aussies had their best moment after a routine backline move when 10 Mack Mason fixed defenders for fullback Jack Maddocks to pass softly to winger Ah-Mu Tuimalealifano. He hared up touch before passing the money ball inside to scrummie Moses Sorovi, who scored.
After the conversion New Zealand still led at 50 minutes but now by only 13-10.
In the next few minutes the Kiwis attacked in the Aussie half. Reserve prop Alex Fidow had some damaging runs and he set up a situation for Barrett to come screaming through to take ruck ball and score. NZ 20-10 after 54 minutes.
Australia held their own for a while but a yellow card for foul play awarded to their prop Tyrel Lomax by a referee who could have used the assistance of a TMO to advantage had there been one, put paid to any recovery. And to be fair, the bench of the Kiwis was palpably superior to that of the boys in gold and would probably have resisted a comeback, card or no card.
After Barrett kicked his second penalty for New Zealand and first-five Stephen Perofeta kicked sweetly across for Emerson to score his second try, the Kiwis won convincingly.
Final score: New Zealand 20 – Australia 10
Man of the Match
It was harder for the individual Aussies to shine because their team had so many negatives. Some backrowers had good moments of skilful play but the Kiwi unit of three beat them hands-down as a wolf pack. Lock McCauley had some good charges but missed some tackles.
The backs had some moments of light also, but their halves pairing did not click and it affected everybody outside them. Fullback Maddocks had some of the best passages of play, but a clearing kick got charged down for a try.
The best of the Aussies were probably props Lomax and Fa’aleilie Sione, for their scrummaging, but their replacements were sound also.
The Kiwis had more candidates. The Jacobsen brothers, both flankers, earned their pay for productivity and prop Fidow was like a whirlwind—had he played the whole game he would have got the award.
Winger Emerson was menacing every time he got the ball and scored two fine tries, but each was set up by his first-five, who first, burst through at pace before offloading to Emerson, and second, cross-kicked to him on the money.
Man-of-the-match: Stephen Perofeta
The wrap up
Like the Kiwis, the Aussies left some Super Rugby squad members at home, but Australia missed theirs more because the bench did not make an impact.
For the next game they have to be less passive at the breakdown and get to it faster, especially on their own ball.
Their scrum was a nice surprise but some of their lineouts and restarts were sub-standard; and too often their kick-chase was kick-stroll. The execution of bread-and-butter rugby basics such as catching and passing, and drawing the man, was unsatisfactory, and not fully explained by the humid conditions.
Their best scrumhalf is not available for this series but the next two in line have to step up because the players outside them are bereft of good delivery and therefore, rhythm.
The Kiwis do not look like giant-killers without their Super Rugby players, and opposing coaches would not be scared based on that performance. Although their backrow was excellent it was hard to judge them against their ball-watching opponents on the night.
Their set piece is not going to be major factor for them and although the backs had some fine moments and put on some effective ensemble moments, they don’t have as many rain makers as the Kiwi Under 20s have had in recent years.
Scoring
New Zealand 30 (M. Emerson 2, Q. Strange, J. Barrett tries; Barrett 2 cons; 2 pens) def. Australia 10 (M. Sorovi try; M. Mason con; pen)
All Photos by HJ Nelson – thank you
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