Round 1
Men’s competition:
It wasn’t hard to imagine Wayne Bennett smiling as the Kangaroos and Kiwis got the World Cup off to a start with a clash worthy of its blockbuster billing. ‘The thin coach’ has long been an avid proponent of the international game and so both the intensity and quality of this match would have pleased him no end! It was international football at its best. Perhaps only an Ashes series at the same level could match it. (But we all know that’s not likely to happen any time soon.) You could write columns about just this one match, its twists and turns, its individual performances, its changes in momentum, the skills, the errors, its frenetic pace, and on and on. I still can’t work out how Australia won – they lost basically every metric bar the one that matters most: the scoreboard. The Kiwis will be kicking themselves for losing after controlling most of the game; the Kangaroos will think that if they can win even though they played so modestly, how good might things go for them if they are on song? Walsh and Ponga have dominated the post-match talk, along with Bostock – all rightly so. But what about other star performers? For the losers: Papali’i was huge in every aspect of the game – attack, defence, kick chase; McLean demonstrated his wonderful talents again – what a future this bloke has ahead of him!; Tapine is all heart and effort – his chase to keep Walsh out wide and possibly save two points was a real 1%er; Whyte off the bench continued his Grand Final form. For the winners: Preston showed he belongs at this level with a wholehearted effort over the full 80 minutes; Carrigan held his own against a bigger pack; Yeo was as reliable as ever; Dearden, Murray and Cotter were strong off the bench. Kevvie Walters would be a relieved man after a few brave selections but now has the luxury of experimenting a bit over the next couple games to fine tune the best combination.
Friday evening’s game was the lopsided slaughter I feared – Samoa 78 France 4. A nice training run for Ben Gardiner’s men is about the best thing I can say. In another pair of ‘dream debuts’, McEwen and Manuleleua starred for Samoa with rampaging performances up front. Fa’alogo’s four tries off the bench was a pretty fair effort!
The PNG Kumuls took a while to shake off the Lebanon Cedars but dominated the second half to run out comfortable winners 42-18 in Port Moresby. The locals had too much power and energy while the visitors ran out of puff towards the end. It will be interesting to see PNG up against Samoa this week. Over in Perth, Tonga and England played a frantic, feisty game with more than a few tackles flirting with the edge of sanctions. Katoa had the ball on a string and used a variety of grubbers to manufacture three of their five tries. Taumalolo was strong through the middle and was well supported by Utoikamanu and Olakau’atu. Their defence early in the second half when England threatened was well organised and effective. England were spirited but seemed to play without a whole lot of structure, hoping to break the line from broken play. There was too much ‘give it to Herbie’ and ‘get it out to Dom’. The win was Tonga’s first ever over England.
In Newcastle on Sunday, Fiji got off to a flyer to lead Cook Islands by 28-0 by half-time and got it our to 34-0 before the Cooks finally got on the board. Otherwise it was pretty much one way traffic with Fiji temporarily leading Pool A ahead of heavyweights Australia and NZ. Let’s see what happens when the Bati clash with the Kangaroos this weekend.
Women’s competition:
The Jillaroos got their campaign off to a solid start with a convincing 40-0 win over Fetu Samoa but didn’t have it all their own way in spite of that scoreline. The Fetu girls started strongly but it didn’t take long for the Jillaroos to find their form with a 5-try burst in 24 minutes leading up to the break. Samoa defended bravely in the second half and went close to scoring a couple times but just couldn’t get over the line. In the end, dominant field position and weight of possession saw the Australian’s score late to blow out the final result. The Samoans can hold their heads high; the Jillaroos were a bit rusty and haven’t reached their best yet. What a worry that must be for their upcoming opponents!
On Saturday the PNG Orchids thumped France 58-4 in another lopsided encounter. It could have been worse as PNG converted only 5 of its 12 tries. The gap between northern and southern hemisphere footy is starting to become more than a tad embarrassing as the tournament unfolds. Later in the day, England showed no mercy on neighbouring Wales, dishing out a 70-6 hiding in Perth. We’ll find out more about England when they meet the Jillaroos on Saturday night.
Fiji threatened a boilover against the Kiwi Ferns, holding the lead with less than 10 minutes on the clock. A penalty goal and a late try to the Kiwis saw order restored but it was certainly a wake-up call for the New Zealanders.
Round 2
Men’s competition:
Round 2 starts with a game between Tonga and Lebanon in Sydney tomorrow night. Based on what we saw last week you’d have to see Tonga as the hottest of favourites and looking to get into prime position for a semi-final spot. It’s hard to see the Cedars holding the powerful Tongan forwards, allowing their slick backline to run wild. I fear another blowout scoreline.
On Saturday afternoon we have a key match-up between PNG and Samoa in Port Moresby. Both were impressive first up and a second win should cement a spot as we head towards the semi-finals. Samoa will start as favourites after their massive scoreline in Round 1 but the energetic, hard-hitting Kumuls will make them work for it. I just think that Samoa has too much muscle up front and far too much speed out wide for the PNG men to hold them. In the late game, England meet France in Perth. England were spirited, if also somewhat un-coordinated, against Tonga; France were simply appalling against Samoa. I think the NRL and Super league experience of the Lions will get them home very comfortably.
Christchurch hosts the Kiwis v Cook Islands game on Sunday afternoon (AEDT). Again, this seems a mismatch and the powerful Kiwi outfit should run up a cricket score against their honest but overwhelmed opponents. The round concludes with Australia playing Fiji in Brisbane. Expect a bumper, rollicking crowd! Fiji surprised with a fine effort in Round 1 while a rusty Australia was a tad lucky to get the win against New Zealand. Australia will field a very different line-up this week but will expect their depth of talent to still be too strong for the Bati. That’s hard to argue against but I expect it to be a pretty good contest for an hour before the host country emerges in front, their superior skills and fitness eventually proving the difference. Australia to win.
To see the men’s team lists for Round 2 click here.
Women’s competition:
Samoa and Wales, both completely outclassed last week, open Round 2 of the women’s competition in Sydney tomorrow evening. Samoa showed a lot of character and not a little skill in their first-up loss to the Jillaroos whereas it was hard to find many positives for the Welsh lasses. I expect Samoa to win comfortably.
Saturday afternoon’s Fiji v PNG encounter should be a ripper! In Round 1, Fiji did everything but beat the Kiwis – no small achievement; the Orchids were impressive – but it was against the underwhelming French. So this should be a better test for both teams to see if they can advance their respective causes for the play-offs. It’s a toss of the coin for me but the crowd may be factor, so I’ll go with PNG. The late game has the Jillaroos up against the Lionesses. Their last couple of encounters have been disastrous for the English and they will be hoping for a far better effort this time around. But how can you possibly go against the Australian outfit who seem a level or two above most sides? Australia by the length of the straight.
On Sunday, New Zealand play France, yet another situation that you fear will be a very one-sided affair. Analysis seems redundant so we’ll simply say that New Zealand will win by plenty.
To see the women’s team lists for Round 2 click here.
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A former teacher with a (very) modest sporting CV enjoying his retirement years. A Queenslander through and through, especially when it comes to cricket and rugby league. Enjoys travel, coffee and cake, reading, McWilliam’s Cream Apera and a glass or three of wine. Footy Almanac’s Thursday online editor who moonlights as a hobby editor.