League: Close Anzac test result gives Kiwis confidence

Jared Waerea-Hargreaves is tackled by Cameron Smith during the Anzac test on Friday night. Photo / Getty Images

It was a loss but an invigorating one. The Kiwis' eyes will turn to the Four Nations in October and November after a credibility-building 12-8 defeat in the Anzac test in Melbourne.

It was New Zealand's ninth consecutive loss in the fixture but, ironically, the close result enhanced the one-off test's value. It was the tightest scoreline since the Kiwis' six-point loss in 1999. New Zealand's only win, 22-16, came in 1998.

After the test, somewhere amid the swaths of bandages, bottles of energy drinks, melting ice and a pile of largely uneaten butter chicken curries on the dressing room floor, there seemed likely to be a fledgling confidence, albeit hidden by post-match glum faces.

Arguably, the Kiwis matched the Kangaroos on everything but the scoreboard without ever threatening to take this test by the collar and march away with it. They have now done that - or better - in two of the last four meetings between the two countries: last year's Four Nations' draw and the 2008 World Cup win.

Perhaps that world champion tag is a touch hollow almost 18 months on when Australia have been more successful since, but the Kiwis can reflect on being well within the desired skill and stamina range, especially with a weakened side with new combinations.

It is hard to gauge how much the teeming first-half rain proved a leveller. It cancelled out some of the thoroughbred skills of Kangaroos backs Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater and Cooper Cronk.

Not once did the crowd see the coveted no-look inside pass from Cronk to Slater - but Greg Inglis and Darren Lockyer still found moments to shine. Inglis bullocked his way through 152 metres in the match including 10 tackle breaks and would have had a certain try in the 15th minute were it not for a stout front-on tackle from Lance Hohaia.

Lockyer put Australia in charge before half-time with a perfectly weighted grubber kick for Brett Morris to dot down.

Given the tricky conditions, a sensible Kiwis side played percentage football throughout. That kept them in the match even if the much-touted halves combination of Kieran Foran and captain Benji Marshall failed to produce anything spectacular.

Some will argue they could have sacrificed caution for enterprise but the score may have blown out further in those circumstances in difficult conditions.

New Zealand completed more sets of tackles than Australia (42 to 36) at a better percentage (81 per cent to 75 per cent) and with more tackle breaks (44 to 39). The Kiwis had the better of possession, particularly in the second half, but missed a greater percentage of tackles.

Not that there was a lack of confrontation on defence. Issac Luke, Adam Blair, Sam Rapira, Bronson Harrison and even Foran were relentless in holding their line.

Coach Stephen Kearney said they were stung by the two Australian tries either side of halftime:

"That's where I thought we were disappointing, we got through our sets well with completions - as did the Australians - but we didn't maintain that pressure. We slacked off getting out of our territory by conceding penalties."

Marshall says there was no lack of pride in their performance:

"In the past we've had 5-, 10- or 15-minute stints where we've let them get away from us and the game was over, whereas we at least gave ourselves an opportunity to win. I just wish there had been another five minutes to go. We were on a roll.

"I don't think we're that far off to tell you the truth. We spoke about competing for 80 minutes and we did exactly that. The goalkicking let us down in the end. But, if anything, we believe we're equal or better."

A consolation for Kearney and Marshall is how well their side competed with a lack of first-choice players. Simon Mannering, Manu Vatuvei, Jeremy Smith and Frank Pritchard and Fuifui Moimoi were all suffering injuries. Australia only really missed Johnathan Thurston but their sizable depth enabled a player of Cooper Cronk's class to replace him.

If all those Kiwi players are back, it shapes as quite a rematch at Eden Park on November 6 in the double header with England and Papua New Guinea.

This Kiwis side is also relatively young compared to the Kangaroos. To put that into perspective Aaron Heremaia, making his test debut, was the oldest New Zealander on the field at 27.

The average age is 23. The average Australian age by contrast is 27, a figure skewed slightly by the presence of veterans like Darren Lockyer (33) and Petero Civoniceva (34). Likewise New Zealand averaged eight test caps per head to Australia's 11.

New Zealand now get a chance to right the Anzac test balance, having been granted a second chance to host the fixture on home soil in Christchurch next year.