Four Nations: New Zealand Kiwis vs Australian Kangaroos

[DIEHARD]

League invades Eden Park for Four Nations fan day

It is rugby union heartland but the league invasion of Eden Park began today with the team's involved in Saturday's historic Four Nations double header checking out the new stadium.

?It looks spectacular, the surface looks fantastic; you can feel the buzz around here already,? says Kiwi halfback Nathan Fien.

Australian Lote Tuqiri knows the stadium well from his time in union, and is impressed with the facelift ? right down to the dressing sheds.

?There's still a smell of drying paint in there, it's quite fresh and the stadium looks great,? he says.

Kiwis and Kangaroos were mixing freely with a relaxed feel to the fan day.

But the Kangaroos are feeling the heat, told spots in next week's final depend on their performance on Saturday.

?There's that many good players that you've got to go out and do the business, if you don't you're out,? Tuqiri says.

Aussie centre Brent Tate is just glad he won't have to mark up against former Warriors teammate, the injured Manu Vatuvei.

?There is a little part of me that will be quite happy that I won?t have to run at or tackle the big fella,? he says.

Organisers are optimistic they are on track for a crowd around 45,000, with 28,000 tickets already sold.

Source: http://www.3news.co.nz/

[DIEHARD]

Looks like it is going to be an amazing crowd, an amazing game and an amazing atmosphere!

And it will be a fantastic prelude to the Four Nations Final at Lang Park.

[DIEHARD]

Kiwis name team to face Kangaroos

Seasoned forwards Adam Blair and Frank Pritchard and emerging international Ben Matulino were today named to return for the Kiwis' Four Nations clash against the Kangaroos at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday night.

The 24-year-old Blair, Pritchard, who celebrates his 27th birthday today, and Matulino (21) all missed the 76-12 rampage against Papua New Guinea in Rotorua last weekend.

But coach Stephen Kearney has immediately recalled them for the feature attraction of the historic doubleheader at New Zealand rugby union's stronghold.

Blair has played 19 tests, Pritchard 20 and Matulino five but, after appearing against Toa Samoa and England, they were rested for the test against the Kumuls.

In their absence, Penrith prop Sam McKendry was brought in to make his debut, Melbourne's Sika Manu started in the second row and Sydney Roosters forward Jared Waerea-Hargreaves came onto the bench for Matulino.

Blair now comes back for McKendry and Pritchard and Matulino secure places on a five-man interchange bench while Manu retains his starting role in the second row.

"As it has been throughout this campaign, it was a really difficult side to select," Kearney said.

"If anything, it has got harder every week with all players pushing for spots. It's obviously disappointing for those who miss out but our commitment is to pick the side we believe is the best suited to perform for us against Australia this week."

While the two teams clash again on Saturday week in the Four Nations final in Brisbane, Kearney said the sole focus was on this week's encounter.
"Our only interest is this week and this match against the Kangaroos," he said.

"Every test we play is extremely important to us, especially when we have the chance to test ourselves against Australia. We don't go along with any talk of this being a dead rubber. It's a test against Australia and this is also a really important occasion for the game in our country with the match being played at Eden Park."

Blair's inclusion means there is just one change to the starting forward pack and there are two on the bench but the backline remains unchanged from the one used against the Kumuls.

In that match, left centre Junior Sa'u and his wing partner Sam Perrett both scored hat-tricks while right winger Jason Nightingale and fullback Lance Hohaia also scored tries.

When the Kiwis and Australia last met in the Anzac Test in Melbourne in May, the home side prevailed 12-8 on a wet night.

England's Richard Silverwood has been appointed to control the match. He was originally due to referee the Kiwis' encounter with Papua New Guinea before injury resulted in him being replaced by Australia's Ben Cummins.

NEW ZEALAND: Lance Hohaia, Jason Nightingale, Shaun Kenny-Dowall, Junior Sa'u, Sam Perrett, Benji Marshall (captain), Nathan Fien, Frank-Paul Nuuausala, Thomas Leuluai, Adam Blair, Sika Manu, Simon Mannering, Jeremy Smith. Interchange (one to be omitted): Issac Luke, Greg Eastwood, Frank Pritchard, Ben Matulino, Bronson Harrison.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/league/...-for-Kangaroos

[DIEHARD]

35,000 tickets sold for Eden Park!

[TITAN PETE]

Kearney wary of Aussie threat

Ian McCullough AAP Thu, 04 Nov 2010 19:24:32
New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney has laughed off suggestions Australia will field a weakened side ahead of Saturday's Four Nations clash in Auckland.

Kangaroos mentor Tim Sheens has named seven new faces in his side including four debutants, with newly-crowned RILF International Player of the Year Todd Carney among them.

Sheens' side have been far from convincing in their opening two matches against PNG and England and many observers believe the Kiwis look the stronger outfit ahead of the dress rehearsal for next week's final in Brisbane.

With a crowd of around 35,000 expected for the first meeting between the two nations at Eden Park since 1988, the world champions are slight favourites, but Kearney insists the game will be a huge test for his side.

"It will be a wonderful challenge for us, playing at home in front of a big crowd at Eden Park we are really looking forward to it," he told AAP.

"I have been watching the game a very long time and I don't think I have ever seen a weak Australia side, they have a number of players who are not part of the tournament through injury and they have made changes to their side today.

"But I look at their team, and I have to say it is a magnificent side.

"It is not a weak Australian side and only a fool would write them off or underestimate them."

The strength of this current New Zealand team is demonstrated by the omission of South Sydney prop Roy Asotasi from the Four Nations squad.

And with Benji Marshall and Shaun Kenny-Dowall, who was named RILF international centre of the year on Wednesday, in his side, Kearney is well aware of the talent he has at his disposal.

However, he refuses to admit that his 2010 team is better than the side he helped guide to the World Cup on that memorable night at Suncorp Stadium two years ago.

"It is a totally different situation, for me it is a matter of building what Australia already has, a number of guys who are out, but still being able to put out a strong side," he said.

"For me I would love to be able to do that, I think we were lucky with injury in 2008 but I do think we have greater depth but it is a matter of building on what we already have and getting better and better."

[TITAN PETE]

Carney focussing on green and gold future

By Ian McCullough AAP Thu, 04 Nov 2010 18:37:00
Newly-crowned international player of the year Todd Carney believes the time has come to stop reflecting on the past and focus on a future which now includes a first Test jumper.

The Sydney Roosters five-eighth was on Thursday named in the Australian side to play New Zealand in Saturday's Four Nations clash at Eden Park, Carney replacing skipper Darren Lockyer in one of seven changes for the Kangaroos.

St George Illawarra utility Dean Young, young centre Chris Lawrence and prop Matt Scott will also make their debuts, while Clive Churchill medallist Darius Boyd, backrower Greg Bird and hooker Robbie Farah return to the green and gold.

Carney's stunning comeback after a year out of the game following his sacking by Canberra has been widely reported, and while the 24-year-old stops short of saying he is sick of talking about it, he is keen to move on with his life.

"It has been a good year and it has been well documented what I have come back from," Carney told AAP.

"I am proud of what I have achieved and how I have come back, but I am here to do a job and play football and I would rather hear people talk about my footy and not talk so much about my life away from it."

Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens last month described Carney as Lockyer's logical heir apparent in the Australian No.6 jumper, but the Dally M medal winner said he was enjoying the experience of learning from the Brisbane and Queensland great.

"I am here now and waiting in the background behind Locky and I am happy to sit in his shadow and learn from him, and when it is my turn to have a crack I will hopefully take it," he said.

"It will be the highest level I will have played at and it is a great honour to have finally achieved that and I am really excited and want to soak it up and put my best foot forward and try and get in the side to play in the final.

"I had a bit of a chat with Locky about my role and he gave me a few tips at training and it really paid off."

Sheens denied Carney and Boyd - who will replace Billy Slater at fullback - were just in the side to give their better credentialled teammates a rest.

"Billy has as shoulder injury that he has been managing and Darren has taken some pretty heavy knocks and it's well known that at the back end of the season he had some significant issues with injury," Sheens told AAP.

"Darren could play if he had to, but I am very confident with these two lads coming into the side.

"Positions six and one seem to be the argument that everyone is having about the team but there is no doubt that Carney and Boyd have been in better form all year than their counterparts and I don't think we lose anything by giving those two a chance."

Hooker Cameron Smith takes over as captain in Lockyer's absence with Bird and David Shillington also coming into the starting line-up.

Sheens revealed that Farah, who replaces Anthony Watmough on the bench, would see plenty of game time in a move that could be repeated in next Saturday's final.

"I intend to use Farah and Cameron the same way the Kiwis use their two hookers," Sheens said.

"Robbie will be used to improve our dummy-half speed in the same way Issac Luke does for the Kiwis, so don't be surprised to see Robbie come on when Luke does.

"This is so we can counter-balance that threat and add some dash to our ruck area.

"I am experimenting with that idea with one eye on the final. The Kiwis have named a very mobile pack and they are intending to go through our bigger men and we have to have the dash to come back through them."

[TITAN PETE]

Eden Park ugliness will not be tolerated

AAP Mon, 08 Nov 2010 07:09:59
A review of security arrangements at Auckland sports ground Eden Park is likely to see a tightening of the rules ahead of the 2011 Rugby World Cup, Prime Minister John Key says.

Police arrested six people from the crowd of 44,500 after alcohol fuelled fighting at the Four Nations rugby league Test between New Zealand and Australia at Eden Park on Saturday night.

Hundreds of plastic bottles were thrown on the pitch as fighting began inside the stadium, and continued outside after the game. Residents flooded police with calls about unruly and drunken fans.

Police and officials have promised such ugly scenes will not be tolerated when the Rugby World Cup tournament kicks off next year.

Key described the behaviour as a disaster and said there would be a review of the security arrangements and policies ahead of the World Cup.

There would be some toughening up of those arrangements but people were also expected to act like grown ups, he told TVNZ's Breakfast program.

"Even if you say there's no booze that will be sold at Eden Park you can't stop people pre-loading and having far too much alcohol before they get there, you can't stop them buying a pottle of chips and they can go and throw that onto the field if they want."

Some of those at the game on Saturday also booed during the Australian national anthem.

Key said that was outrageous behaviour.

Eden Park Neighbours Association president Mark Donnelly said the stadium management was incompetent and the liquor ban was a mockery.

He said some fans were "tanked up" before they went in and the event was a shambles.

Some fans said they were disgusted and would never go back, the New Zealand Herald reported.

Rugby World Cup organisers said there would be more security and police at Eden Park next year

[TITAN PETE]

Kangaroos too good for Kiwis

Ian McCullough AAP Sat, 06 Nov 2010 22:27:25
Kangaroos coach Tim Sheens hailed his players after they braved the intimidating atmosphere of a seething Eden Park to seal a 34-20 Four Nations victory over New Zealand on Saturday.

A crowd of over 44,000 packed into the traditional home of rugby in Auckland and booed throughout the singing of Advance Australian Fair before the game, with every single member of the 24-man Kiwi squad lining up for the haka.

Frustrated supporters then launched bottles onto the field midway through the second half when the Kangaroos opened up a 34-10 lead.

"I was very proud, particularly considering the crowd, the atmosphere and all 24 of their players going out there for the haka, they did everything they could to intimidate us, so it was pretty hard with some young guys out there," Sheens said.

"I said in the box before the game that it would be a great win for us and I was real proud."

Sheens denied the atmosphere fired his players up and said the performance was their best of the tournament so far, leaving him with some selection headaches ahead of next week's final in Brisbane.

Todd Carney, Dean Young, Matt Scott and Chris Lawrence all made their debuts, with Lawrence scoring a try midway through the second half to cap off a memorable evening for the 22-year-old.

"If it had stirred us up you would have seen us play more aggressively, but we didn't, we played smart footy and I think we showed that with the way we put the ball in the corners and scored some good tries," Sheens said.

"I was pleased with all of the new guys and it gives me some decisions to make next week."

Stand-in skipper Cameron Smith, deputising for Darren Lockyer, said the atmosphere was one of the most hostile he had played in and revealed he was almost hit by a plastic bottle thrown from the crowd when he was lining up a conversion.

"It was loud at the start during our national anthem with the crowd booing, that could have got to some blokes, but I thought we showed real maturity, particularly with the guys who made their debuts," Smith said.

"Anything the crowd does we can't control, the crowd are passionate about their side and their country and will do what they can to get them over the line.

"One (bottle) just came over my left shoulder but that sort of stuff is done to put you off, but I just had to compose myself and put it through the posts, which is what I did."

New Zealand coach Stephen Kearney lamented his side's display and hoped the disappointment of their performance would serve as an incentive to improve next week.

"It was very disappointing, we have high standards and I don't think we reached them at all tonight," Kearney said.

"I would hate to think the lads thought it would be easy because of the changes they made, but we produced our worst performance of the tournament at Eden Park."

Skipper Benji Marshall denied his side were overawed by the occasion.

"I can't put my finger on what went wrong, if I knew, I would have done something about it, you can't play the Aussies out of your own half for so long and expect to win," Marshall said.

"We let ourselves down, we let the crowd down and we let the country down."