Autumn Tests Between Kangaroos & Kiwis

Sean Fagan of RL1908.com

It’s indisputable that internationals are an integral part of rugby league. Our code is unique in that our players can compete in the fiercest of contests for their club, their state, their country.

But just when is the right time to schedule a Test during the NRL season?

Pit the Kiwis or Poms up against a Kangaroos team selected from match-hardened “guns” of a Blues-Maroons state series, and it’s a late winter massacre. Opt for the time around Anzac Day, and the detractors quibble that green-and-gold jerseys are awarded without players having proven their mettle through the fire of Origin.

Interestingly, James J. Gilitinan (Australia) and Albert Baskerville (New Zealand), rugby league’s founding fathers, set the first ever Test between our neighbouring countries down for Sydney on May 9, 1908 – a date just weeks after the club competition had kicked-off, and two months before the first NSW-QLD series.

The 1908 Test foreshadowed the early season timing of modern Tests, but it was a long time coming.

While the 2008 SCG “Centenary Test” paid a fitting tribute to the momentous happenings of 1908, the evening also signaled the reaching of a decade of Autumn Test matches for the Kangaroos and Kiwis from 1998-2008 (albeit with a few lapses).

Wearing “old time colours,” the maroon-and-blue Kangaroos faced the entirely black-garbed Kiwis; it was the first meeting on the SCG for the teams since 1986, and the only ever night Test match played on that famous traditional rugby league ground.

Despite the assistance of former Aussie coach Wayne Bennett in the Kiwis camp, the home team bolted away to a 22-0 half-time lead, and were hardly challenged in winning 28-12. The evening’s, and probably the season’s, undoubted highlight came in a breath-taking moment from Australian winger Greg Inglis.

In a feat of pure athletic genius, Inglis launched himself beyond the dead-ball line to flick the ball back over his head and into the waiting hands of centre Mark Gasnier for a truly remarkable try. So unexpected was Inglis' freakish act, it eluded the battery of ever-present sideline photographers, was only captured on video.

In the Test lead up, Australia’s captain Darren Lockyer was ruled out with a knee injury. Lockyer was the only current player in either team who had played in the first ever Kangaroos-Kiwis early season Test, held in 1998 at Auckland’s North Harbour Stadium.

Played on the evening before Anzac Day, it was the first combined Kangaroos team chosen after the end of the Super League tumult, leaving the selectors with a more than a headache.

Laurie Daley edged out Brad Fittler for the captaincy and 5/8th (Fittler played lock), Allan Langer missed out at half-back to Andrew Johns, with Geoff Toovey taking the hooker and dummy-half role. The side also included Wendell Sailor, Terry Hill, Mat Rogers, Steve Renouf, Steve Menzies, Brad Thorn and Glenn Lazarus.

The Kangaroos raced to a 12-2 lead, but the Kiwis fought back and went 18-12 up in the wake of a barn-storming run from replacement prop Terry Hermansson with twenty minutes left to play.

The Matthew Ridge captained home side were a “Who’s Who” of the NZ game: Sean Hoppe and Richard Barnett were on the wings, Ruben Wiki was still a rampaging centre in those days, alongside Richie Blackmore, and “little schemers” Stacey Jones and the Paul brothers (Henry and Robbie). More brothers were found in Nigel and Joe Vagana, and Kevin and Tony Iro. Also in the team were Jarrod McCracken, Quentin Pongia and Logan Swann.

Australia cut the lead back to 18-16, but an absorbing and titanic struggle was settled by Kevin Iro’s try in the last minute, giving the Kiwis a 22-16 victory.

It was a heady start for the concept of an early season Test, and there was nothing to belie the thought that the Tasman contest would provide anything but an enthralling annual series for years to come.

Befitting the premier position that rugby league holds in Australia’s northern states, the ARL gladly accepted an invitation for the Kangaroos to be the first Australian sporting team to play on Sydney’s recently completed Olympic Stadium. It was a welcome honour taken by the men in green-and-gold of behalf of the code.

The Kangaroos outfit was its usual galaxy of stars: Fittler (captain), Daley, Johns, Lockyer, Sailor, Rogers, Lazarus, now joined by Gorden Tallis, Shane Webcke and Steve Price.

In a pattern that was soon become all too familiar, the Kiwis were knocked about by injuries, retirements and suspensions, as well as English clubs proving to be as prickly as ever. Bradford’s Paul brothers jetted into Sydney with barely two days to acclimatise.

Still, the game was more than lively for the 30,245 fans, especially after Jones worked a scrum move in the 3rd minute to put Robbie Paul away for a try. The Kangaroos came back, and by full-time held on to win 20-14 – both teams scored three tries, but Rogers’ trusty goal kicking had the NZrs at arm’s length for most of the night.

A year on, the rivals met again at the Olympic Stadium. It’s a contest recorded today in “The Kiwis” (the 100 history of New Zealand Test team by historians John Coffey and Bernie Wood) simply as “Good Friday became Black Friday.”

In a truly horrible night for international rugby league, the Aussies completely belted the Kiwis off the park, amassing a 52-0 flogging. A few seemingly dud calls from the match officials prevented the New Zealanders from getting away to that much-needed good start, then the Kangaroos hit back as they are apt to do, turning a 22-0 half-time lead into a rout. Rogers notched up 24 points on his own from 2 tries and 8 goals.

The men-in-black bounced back at year’s end to reach the 2000 World Cup Final, but Australia won that in a canter too, this time 40-12. The ARL then tried to see if playing a one-off Test after Origin made for more competitive results, but they didn’t.

A surprise six-tries 30-16 romp by the Kiwis (three tries to Clinton Toopi) over the Aussies in Wellington in October 2003 though gave the international game a flutter of new hope, and the “Anzac Test” was revived for one final time in 2004.

Played at Newcastle in front of a crowd of 21,537, the match again proved to be a disappointment. The debut appearance from Sonny Bill Williams made for little impact in a patched-up New Zealand side that “boasted” Nigel Vagana at fullback, Sione Faumuina at 5/8th and Robbie Paul at hooker. The visitors started well enough, and it was only a Lockyer field goal that had the Kangaroos ahead 11-10 at the break. But the second half was Australia’s, and it finished it at 37-10.

In 2005 the Test (no longer officially known as the "Anzac Test") was taken to the new Suncorp Stadium, and the Brisbane public responded with a crowd of 40,317 – the largest gathering at a home Test in the previous 35 years. Benji Marshall made his debut, but the other drawcard, Williams, was out with an ankle injury.

The Kangaroos won yet again, this time 32-16, but there were promising signs for the visitors – too promising for green-and-gold fans! – just seven months later the NZrs won a stunning Tri-Nations Final 24-0 over Australia at Leeds.

Despite taking the Kangaroos into “golden point” in the 2006 Tri-Nations Final, and their tremendous achievement in winning the 2008 World Cup, the Kiwis continue to struggle with the early season one-off Test.

The original version of this article was first published in the May 2009 Aust v NZ Test program.