4 May 2015

Kiwis win Anzac Test

1:46 pm on 4 May 2015

New Zealand has beaten Australia 26-12 in the Anzac rugby league test in Brisbane to claim just their second victory in 16 mid-year encounters, their first coming in 1998.

Manu Vatuvei celebrates his second try

Manu Vatuvei celebrates his second try Photo: PHOTOSPORT

The visitors played with flare and imagination to out score the Kangaroos four tries to one in the first half to lead 26-6 at the break.

But it was New Zealand's impressive defence that won them the game in the second half yielding only one further try to the hosts.

The Kiwis took first blood with a penalty goal in the seventh minute before Australia's veteran forward Sam Thaiday barged his way over the try line five minutes later.

Jonathan Thurston converted to extend the Kangaroos' lead, but a Manu Vatuvei try in the left corner restored parity to the scoreboard in the 19th minute.

Vatuvei got his second eight minutes later after Peta Hiku caught a Shaun Johnson bomb and shuffled the ball back to the Beast who was unstoppable five metres out.

Ahead on the scoreboard and with their tails up, the Kiwis scored again four minutes later as Shaun Johnson jinked off his right foot to leave Jonathan Thurston for dead and scramble into goal.

Johnson kicked another penalty five minutes later before Shaun Kenny-Dowall completed a sweeping counter-attack for the Kiwis after Greg Inglis fumbled a chip in-goal.

The visitors' 26-6 half-time lead lasted until the 57th minute when the Kangaroos' rookie Will Chambers found a way through the Kiwis' defence that had repelled a barrage from Australia since the second half began.

Manu Vatuvei was named man of the match.