Post by Wes on Nov 7, 2010 13:04:14 GMT 10
Australia play down dominance over Kiwis
Australia's 34-20 dominance of New Zealand in their Four Nations rugby league pool match did little to ease the pressure on Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens ahead of next weekend's tournament final.
Although it was a "great win" in Auckland on Saturday night the omens pointed to a totally different scenario when the two teams clash in the trophy decider, Sheens said.
New Zealand also refused to read too much into the loss, even though the match was billed as a dress rehearsal for the final after both sides had beaten Great Britain and Papua New Guinea in earlier pool games.
The Kiwis described the six tries to three thumping as their worst performance of the tournament and warned they will bounce back.
Both camps pointed to the recent history of their trans-Tasman rivalry which shows a pattern of New Zealand being capable of producing an upset when least expected to.
"We fired a shot across the bow, that's for sure, but it was always about next week, whether we lost or not," said Sheens whose Kangaroos controlled most of the match.
"Only once have we beaten the Kiwis two times in a tournament in 11 years, so we can't be thinking we are going to win next week.
"Next week will be a new game. It's a final and when you get to a final, you are talking about a different intensity again."
New Zealand captain Benji Marshall saw a silver lining in the way his side, the reigning world champions, were beaten so easily saying they could only improve from there.
"We have let ourselves down, our fans down and our country down. We will do everything to rectify that," Marshall said, noting that in the last three finals the Kiwis have played, they won two and lost the third on a golden point.
"We believe in ourselves and believe we can do it," he said as coach Stephen Kearney added: "We don't like getting beaten like that."
au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/world/8273143/rugbyl-australia-play-down-dominance-over-kiwis/
Yeah next weekend will be a fiery match. I will have to make sure the beer is cold.
Australia's 34-20 dominance of New Zealand in their Four Nations rugby league pool match did little to ease the pressure on Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens ahead of next weekend's tournament final.
Although it was a "great win" in Auckland on Saturday night the omens pointed to a totally different scenario when the two teams clash in the trophy decider, Sheens said.
New Zealand also refused to read too much into the loss, even though the match was billed as a dress rehearsal for the final after both sides had beaten Great Britain and Papua New Guinea in earlier pool games.
The Kiwis described the six tries to three thumping as their worst performance of the tournament and warned they will bounce back.
Both camps pointed to the recent history of their trans-Tasman rivalry which shows a pattern of New Zealand being capable of producing an upset when least expected to.
"We fired a shot across the bow, that's for sure, but it was always about next week, whether we lost or not," said Sheens whose Kangaroos controlled most of the match.
"Only once have we beaten the Kiwis two times in a tournament in 11 years, so we can't be thinking we are going to win next week.
"Next week will be a new game. It's a final and when you get to a final, you are talking about a different intensity again."
New Zealand captain Benji Marshall saw a silver lining in the way his side, the reigning world champions, were beaten so easily saying they could only improve from there.
"We have let ourselves down, our fans down and our country down. We will do everything to rectify that," Marshall said, noting that in the last three finals the Kiwis have played, they won two and lost the third on a golden point.
"We believe in ourselves and believe we can do it," he said as coach Stephen Kearney added: "We don't like getting beaten like that."
au.news.yahoo.com/queensland/a/-/world/8273143/rugbyl-australia-play-down-dominance-over-kiwis/
Yeah next weekend will be a fiery match. I will have to make sure the beer is cold.