League: Kiwis look to the future after win over Kangaroos

Esan Marsters celebrates scoring a try in the Kiwis 26-24 win over Australia. Photo / Photosport

This is just the beginning.

It was the clear message driven home by Kiwis coach Michael Maguire after his side's 26-24 win over the Kangaroos at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

With a relatively inexperienced squad playing under a new captain, the Kiwis dominated the Australians for the majority of the 80 minutes with the final score line almost flattering the visitors.

Speaking after the match, Maguire said the win was where the Kiwis would begin to turn the tide from recent performances.

"We're going to enjoy the win. That's a really strong win from the boys for where we are in this position at the moment," Maguire said.

"The boys have spoken about what kind of team they want to be so the fans do come along and come on the ride with us."

Dominating the possession and territory throughout the match, the Kiwis grinded away at the Australian side and got a deserved win.

Only their first win against Australian since 2015, the match provides a strong platform to build upon when the side travel north to meet England over the coming weeks. The last time the Kiwis met the English side was in Denver earlier this year. They were on the wrong side of a 36-18 match.

Recently appointed Kiwis captain Dallin Watene-Zelezniak echoed Maguire's notion that there's plenty more to come from this side. The Kiwis brought a refreshed focus and mentality into the match against the Kangaroos, and Watene-Zelezniak said for his side, the game was more than just 80 minutes on a Saturday night.

"Everyone talks about the game, but the game for us started last Sunday when we got into camp and preparing each training session, winning everything, it turned out tonight to be really good for us.

"This is obviously what we came into this camp for – to build a foundation for not only us going forward but for the kids coming through and the kids after that; to give this nation what they deserve.

"We're building. Tonight's the foundation that we've built and we've just got to keep going and going."