What's happening
New Zealand - Canada

October 17 Match

WHAT'S HAPPENING?.... (posted 18th October 2003)
When Canada came out to face the Kiwis at Melbourne's Telstra Dome last night there was really never any question about which team was going to win - the only question was 'by how much' the All Bads would flog the Canucks.

The Canadians had a great first fifteen minutes! They took it right up to the All Bads and kept them scoreless despite Daniel Carter having a penalty kick attempt three minutes into play and Devine intercepting a ball and looking very dangerous. Brad Thorn also looked like getting across after making a linebreak, but the Canadians had good counter attack skills and managed to hold the Kiwis out.

Sadly for Canada that was as good as the game was going to get for them. The beginning of the New Zealand steam rolling then began when Caleb Ralph went over for a try. His try came from the kicking position magician Carlos Spencer (it's about that hairdo!) who kicked the ball forward for Ralph to collect and run away with. I'm still not convinced that Ralph was onside when Spencer kicked the ball, but I guess that's why Tony Spreadbury from England was the ref instead of yours truly :) Daniel Carter converted the first of many tries.

In the twentieth minute Jared Barker popped over a penalty goal for Canada - NZ had been giving away more than a few penalties - and the score was 7-3.

Shortly after Rodney So'oialo went over for NZ after Nonu broke through the Canadian line, and then Mils Muliaina went over for the first of four tries he was to score! Show off! To finish off the first half, So'olialo went over again and the half time score read 28-3 in New Zealand's favour.

The second half saw the Kiwis settled into their rhythm. The Canadians were able to break through their forwards on several occasions but weren't able to capitalise on those opportunities. Once the Kiwi backline got the ball... well... tries were an almost certainty. In the opening minutes of the second half the Kiwis bunged on two more tries, and Canada scored their last points for the game when they opted to take a penalty kick which was successful. Opting for the kick was a pretty poor decision - they should have had a go at getting a try, particularly as they were close to their tryline, and they were so far out from the NZ's score.

The nearly 39,000 strong crowd went wild when NZ prop forward Kase Meeuws barreled over for a try. Daniel Carter converted - again.. 7 from 8! The score was 49-6. Ralph, Muliaina, and Nonu all made tries in the last 13 minutes of play. Chris Jack was tossed to the bin in the last minute of play - I confess I was only half watching at that stage.. I know a cameraman on the sideline got barreled in the play, but I suspect that Jack was sin binned because he didn't use his arms in the tackle.

The final score was 68-6! Another big win for one of the big hitters. The best player on the field in my opinion was Brad Thorn - he had a blinder of a game! He was all over the field and into everything - good to see an EX-AUSSIE rugby league player doing so well in union even if he's playing for the enemy :) Carlos Spencer, who's been promoted to Vice captain of the ABs had a cracker as usual - was he a bit power mad organising his players? heh... not really I don't think. And Daniel Carter that young Crusader kicked like we've come to expect from Cruasader kickers over the last few years and carried on the freakish kicking accuracy started by Andrew Mehrtens years ago. The Canadians started off well, but should have slowed the pace of the game down and controlled it more instead of allowing the Kiwis in.