The Tri Nations Final Thread!

[DIEHARD]

Game: 2005 Gillette Tri Nations Final - Australia v New Zealand
Venue: Elland Road Stadium, Leeds
When: Saturday 26 November at 6.15pm (local time):
TV: 5am (ADST) Sunday 27 November on Channel 9
Replay: Sunday November 27 - 9am (ADST) Fox Sports 2. 7:30pm (ADST) Fox Sports 1

AUSTRALIAN KANGAROOS



19 man Australian squad
Trent Barrett
Danny Buderus
Petero Civoniceva
Matt Cooper
Anthony Minichiello
Craig Fitzgibbon
Mark Gasnier
Craig Gower
Ben Kennedy
Matt King
Willie Mason
Luke O'Donnell
Mark O'Meley
Steve Price
Scott Prince
Jason Ryles
Brent Tate
Trent Waterhouse
Craig Wing

VERSUS

NEW ZEALAND KIWIS



19 man Kiwi squad
B Webb (NZ Warriors)
J Webster (Melbourne)
S Hape (Bradford)
C Toopi (NZ Warriors)
M Vatuvei (NZ Warriors)
N Vagana (Cronulla)
S Jones (NZ Warriors)
P Rauhihi (North Queensland)
M Tony (Hull)
R Wiki (NZ Warriors, capt)
D Solomona (Wakefield)
D Kidwell (Melbourne)
L Anderson (NZ Warriors).

Subs (from):
P Whatuira (Wests Tigers)
R Asotasi (Canterbury)
D Faiumu (North Queensland)
B Harrison (Wests Tigers),
I Palea?aesina (NZ Warriors)
A Lauitiiti (Leeds).

[DIEHARD]

Here is a thread for pre-game chatter and of course blow by blow plays of the game. (I'll add a spoiler warning closer to kick off.)

Feel free to continue to post Tri Nations related threads in the International Forum though!

[Dakink]

Aus by 14. Have a feeling that we will skip away as the game goes on. Plenty of variables here though - Jones, weather and the Kiwi's themselves. Play like they did against GB and it will be 50+

[DIEHARD]

I think it will be a close game, Kangaroos by 10.

[Super Cronk]

AUS- Win by 16+ points
FTS-Matt king..leaping over vatuvei take the bomb and score in the corner.
MOM-Gower- will have an excellent game, a hand in all tries

[Steelers]

AUS by 4
MOTM Barrett/Gower
FFS Gasnier/Tate

[Ipswich Fan]

Australia by 12. I think it will be tight the whole way through with Australia sealing it late.
FTS:M. Cooper
MOM: T. Barrett

[Super Cronk]

its live on 9 right?

[Ipswich Fan]

Yes.

[DIEHARD]

its live on 9 right?

Yep, if you aren't going to get up and watch it. I recommend that people set their VCRs, as the replays on Fox Sports will be edited and won't have all the pre match, half time and post match hoohah, which I delight in.

[Super Cronk]

Yep, if you aren't going to get up and watch it. I recommend that people set their VCRs, as the replays on Fox Sports will be edited and won't have all the pre match, half time and post match hoohah, which I delight in.

nope ill be getting up early and watching it. and then watch the replay later on aswell.

[DIEHARD]

I'll be getting up early and taping it and watching the replay.

I just can't get enough. But hell I will miss the football so badly once full time is sounded!

But I guess there will be enough news, rumours and innuendo to keep me satisfied until the trial matches and the World Club Challenge.

Oh and let's not forget that a certain Rugby League game is being released on December 8th....might just be able to survive the off season!

[DIEHARD]

Preview - Australia v New Zealand

Australia and New Zealand meet for the third time in six weeks in Saturday's Tri-Nations final at Elland Road.

The southern hemisphere rivals have eclipsed home side Great Britain in the sport's main international tournament.

The Kangaroos, who have not lost a Test series since 1978, have slight fitness doubts over Craig Wing and Craig Gower.

New Zealand are without forward Frank Pritchard, while Stacey Jones will play following a 12,000-mile flight after attending the birth of his third child.

Pritchard misses out after he sustained concussion in Friday's match against France.

But coach Brian McClennan has dropped loose forward Awen Guttenbeil and second rower Tony Puletua, and included Bronson Harrison, who made his Test debut against France, and Wigan's new signing Iafeta Palea'aesina.

Stand-off Nigel Vagana will return to the Kiwi side after serving a one-match ban for his challenge on Paul Deacon.

New Zealand set themselves up for the tournament with a surprise 38-28 win over Australia in their opening game, and were unlucky to be edged out 28-26 in the second.

Kiwi coach Brian McClennan insisted his side were the underdogs, drawing parallels with Hollywood comedy DodgeBall.

Craig Wing will play with a protective guard around a sternum injury

"If we managed to pull off the biggest upset in the history of rugby league that would be the biggest thing ever for rugby league in New Zealand," said McClennan.

"This is the biggest occasion of our players' lives. There's a couple of them who've been in a World Cup final before, but most of them haven't."

Australia have looked in ominous form after their slow start to the tournament, comfortably seeing off Great Britain.

Utility back Wing is set to play with a custom-made guard to protect a sternum injury.

"If Craig Wing is fit, he'll play and we're pretty confident," said Kangaroos coach Wayne Bennett.

"Craig Gower is pretty close to 100% so the issue is whether we bring Steven Price in."

Wing, Gower and Price, the prop who missed out on selection for last week's game against Great Britain, have all been named in Australia's 19-man squad.

Bennett also said he was worried about the weather conditions for the final with snow and extremely cold winds forecast.

"The conditions will be totally foreign to us if it gets as bad as they say it's going to get," said Bennett.

"We've just got to hope the weather forecasters here are as bad as they are back home - we might be lucky.

"It would be difficult for New Zealand as well because they basically all play in the NRL as well.

"You can wear vests under your jerseys but, other than that, there's not a lot you can do."

Crowds are down on last year's sell-out after Great Britain failed to qualify.

Organisers report that 25,000 tickets have been sold; Elland Road has a capacity of 40,000.

Source: BBC SPORTS ONLINE - http://www.bbc.co.uk

[DIEHARD]

Gillette Tri Nations Pre Match on GBTV

Australia?s stand-in skipper Danny Buderus has once again proved a more than capable replacement for the injured Darren Lockyer.

The Newcastle Knights hooker has been a leading figure in Australia?s charge to the Gillette Tri-Nations Final and Super League TV spoke to the Kangaroo?s current Captain ahead of Saturday?s showdown with the Kiwis?..

Windows Player - http://www.superleague.co.uk/pub/vid...alprematch.wvx

Real Player - http://www.superleague.co.uk/pub/vid...alprematch.ram

Source: http://www.superleague.co.uk/

[Coaster]

Gee i love Fox IQ :emp: