League: Tuivasa-Sheck key to Kiwis' tough win

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck dives to bat a ball out of the end zone for the Kiwis against England this morning. Photo / Getty

In the 72nd minute of yesterday's second test Roger Tuivasa-Sheck took a deep breath.

And then another one. With the rest of the Kiwis team, the fullback stood behind his goalposts, waiting and watching as the video referees assessed a possible try to England's James Graham.

It was the moment of the match.

On one of their rare attacks, England hooker James Roby had nudged a clever kick on the fifth tackle, speared between the posts and the New Zealand defensive line. The Kiwis were caught out of position, with Tuivasa-Sheck blocked by an upright, and Graham dived on the ball first.

With an elementary conversion to follow, the match would be locked up at 8-8. That result would be enough for England to seal the series (as holders), but the momentum might carry them even further. As the 43,000 strong Olympic stadium crowd held their breath, Tuivasa-Sheck crossed his fingers.

"I was pretty confident [it was a] knock on," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "I was right there, dancing with the goal posts and trying to get around so I saw it clearly. I was just praying that the referees saw it that way as well."

There was an interminable series of replays - maybe 15 - before eventually the no-try decision came through.

"When they kept looking over and over I knew they were definitely looking for something and we got the result," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "It was a big moment - it would have thrown the game up in the air. It was a relief to get that no try and we backed ourselves to finish the rest of the game.

The opposing coaches predictably held differing views - Steve McNamara saying that "James [Graham] felt he scored" and Stephen Kearney opining that there was "no comprehensive evidence" to give the try - but it looked like the correct decision.

It was a psychologically massive moment, as the Kiwis had earlier failed to make inroads on the scoreboard despite long periods of dominance.

"Sometimes it got pretty frustrating," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "We were on their try line and we could smell a try coming up but they just shut it down, that was the tough part."

The fullback - who was involved in everything - described the match as one of the toughest of his career, both mentally and physically.

"That game would be right up there," said Tuivasa-Sheck. "Just the amount of running; it was back to back to back and you were just chasing the ball. The footy was grinding [and] at times we were just trying to kick the ball out to slow it down."

- By Michael Burgess in London

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