Winger Luke Rooney scored two tries on debut as Australia drew 16-16 with New Zealand in yesterday's series-opening Tri Nations rugby league test.
Australia led 16-6 when Rooney crossed for his second in the 21st minute but the Kiwis rallied and dominated the second half on a rain-soaked North Harbour Stadium to share honors with the world champions.
PHOTO: AFP
Brothers Vinnie and Louis Anderson scored tries for the New Zealanders, who tied the scores with Francis Meli's final try 25 minutes from fulltime.
Neither team was able to break a long and tense deadlock. Craig Gower and Darren Lockyer drifted fieldgoal attempts wide of the posts while New Zealand missed two chances.
Australia started as firm favorites but New Zealand battled well.
Wet conditions made handling difficult and New Zealand adapted best to conditions.
"With the weather there was a lot of dropped ball. We enjoyed it and the crowd got us home again," said Kiwis captain Reuben Wiki.
New Zealand five-eighth Vinnie Anderson scored the first try of the match after only five minutes.
Rooney replied in the 14th minute, slicing through the Kiwi defense after Gower and Lockyer had combined to create space.
Australia scored twice more via fullback Anthony Minichiello and Rooney in a seven-minute spell which gave them a 10-point buffer.
New Zealand narrowed the margin to 16-12 at halftime with a 36th minute try to hooker Louis Anderson.
Canterbury Bulldogs pair Matt Utai and Sonny Bill Williams -- playing his first international -- were outstanding for New Zealand.
After letting another big lead slip with an error-strewn performance at the French Open on Wednesday, top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka felt like getting as far away from the courts as possible. “Just want to quit tennis right now,” Sabalenka said after wasting a lead of a set and two breaks in a 3-6, 7-5, 6-0 loss to Diana Shnaider in the women’s singles quarter-finals. “We’ll see in few days. Hopefully I’ll get back on track mentally.” Sabalenka’s wait for a first French Open title continues despite the four-time major winner leading 4-1 in the second set and being two points from victory while
BIG NAMES GONE: Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title, reaching semi-finals for the fifth time in six years and finishing second on three occasions Alexander Zverev on Tuesday breezed past Rafael Jodar to stay on course for an elusive Grand Slam title at the French Open, while Jakub Mensik halted Joao Fonseca’s scintillating run in the quarter-finals. Zverev, the highest-ranked player left in the men’s draw, put an end to Spanish teenager Jodar’s impressive Roland Garros debut, easing into the semi-finals with a 7-6, (7/3), 6-1, 6-3 win. The 29-year-old Zverev is the clear favorite for a maiden Grand Slam title. He has finished runner-up on three occasions, including at the 2024 French Open. “I want to win the matches that are ahead of
For some, Cristiano Ronaldo remains the essential spearhead for Portugal’s FIFA World Cup bid, while others believe his presence would prevent Roberto Martinez’s strong side from flourishing. The debate around the five-time Ballon d’Or winner rages on, as it did at UEFA Euro 2024 and four years ago in Qatar — yet Ronaldo endures, ready to play in a record sixth World Cup. The 41-year-old remains a global superstar despite swapping the European elite for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, and is the leading men’s international goalscorer with 143 strikes. With 25 of those coming in 30 games under Martinez, the coach
Taiwanese sprinter Chen Yi-cen on Friday won the silver medal in the women’s 400m final at the Asian U20 Athletics Championships in Hong Kong, with a time of 53.16 seconds. Chen, 15, was the youngest among the eight finalists, and her performance also met the qualifying standard of 53.50 seconds for the Nagoya Asian Games in Japan in September and October. Chen first made her mark at the National Games in Tainan in 2023, at the age of 13, winning the women’s 400m final in 55.55 seconds to become the youngest gold medalist in the history of the event. Meanwhile,
RSS