Kiwis storm home against tired French 

Source: PhotosportAdam Blair is stopped by French defenders

The Kiwis have recovered from a nervy first half to storm home to a 62-12 win over France in their Four Nations league match in Toulouse on Sunday morning.

Despite the French side being decimated by injuries, suspensions and swine flu, they surprised with their variety on attack and commitment in defence to go to the break only ten points behind the world champion Kiwi side at 16-6.

In the first two minutes of the game, the French attacked with a nicely worked blindside short kick off their fifth tackle and though they won the battle to the ball, it was over the dead ball line.

The Kiwis struck back and scored their first try when Benji Marshall crossed in the fourth minute off hooker Thomas Leuluai but Bryson Goodwin missed the conversion keeping the score at 4-0.

Scrambling defence held the French out again in the 9th minute and the Kiwis started to find a rhythm despite giving away a penalty for off-side.

The French struggled to contain Fuifui Moimoi and the big Kiwis forwards on attack and the Kiwis worked it through to the fifth tackle when Sam Perrett gathered a superb Nathan Fien cross field bomb to score in the far right corner and Goodwin wobbled it over.

Past the twenty minute mark France caught the Kiwis in goal twice and with ferocious crowd support against them, the Kiwis were lucky to hold them out.

Sebastien Martins muscled over in the 22nd minute to get France onto the scoreboard but very late in the first half Issac Luke spilt them wide and the attempted offload - which may have gone forward - came off a French arm to return the count to zero and allow Lance Hohaia to pick it up and score easily.

Early in the second half France grabbed a chance and narrowed the gap to only four points through Australian-born James Wynne when Iosia Soliola fumbled the ball on the Kiwi line but that scare kicked the New Zealanders into action shortly afterwards and they quickly returned to form with tries to Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Frank-Paul Nuuausala and an excellent long-range solo effort from fullback Hohaia.

Excellent kicking and work in the halves by Nathan Fien and Marshall and dummy-half running from Luke continued the try fest for the Kiwis with the scoreline stretching to 62-12 as the weakened French tired very rapidly and were eventually out-scored by eight tries to two with Perrett getting a hat-trick.

The only concern for Kiwis coach Steve Kearney is centre Steve Matai, who has been taken to hospital with an eye injury and the inflated scoreline will help the Kiwis in their points differential.

In the other Four Nations game on Sunday, Australia held off a fast-finishing English side 26-16 after leading 26-0 at half time.

Can the Kiwis go on to win the Four Nations? Have your say below

Add a Comment:

post new comment

BOPMAN03 ; 2009-10-26 @ 16:14 NZDT  

They sure can "GIVE EM A TASTE OF KIWI'S"

add to this thread  post new comment