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Shaun Johnson’s magic feet, his deceptive speed and his brilliant football brain spearheaded the Kiwis’ 22-18 win over the Kangaroos on Saturday night to capture the Four Nations tournament in windy Wellington.
Johnson was head and shoulders above the field in a man-of-the-match performance in front of a parochial 25,183 crowd that lapped up the fact it was the first time in 60 years the Kiwis have beaten the Kangaroos in successive Tests.
The playmaker called all the main shots all night and set up two tries, but it was his solo try that tore the Kangaroos apart.
Having split the defence mid-field, Johnson did the seemingly impossible, skirting Greg Inglis on the outside to leave the Kangaroo fullback sprawling empty-handed.
Nobody does that to Greg Inglis.
Yet while Johnson was the stand-out, he wasn’t the only Kiwi to shine.
Martin Taupau came off the bench to create havoc every time he touched the ball, skipper Simon Mannering was tireless, as was Jesse Bromwich, with Kieran Foran’s understanding with Johnson right off the top shelf.
Add two of the best finishing wingers in the code – Jason Nightingale and Manu Vatuvei – and little wonder the Kiwis took home the bickies.
The second and final quarters belonged exclusively to New Zealand, as if they owned the ball. If it hadn’t been for the Kangaroos’ dogged defence, the Kiwis would have chalked up a cricket score.
The Kangaroos sorely missed Johnathan Thurston and Billy Slater, but coach Tim Sheens could only play with the cards he was dealt.
With those two world-class footballers on duty, Inglis would have been in the centres where his brilliance would have had more impact.
Missing the likes of Paul Gallen, Nate Myles, Matt Scott, James Tamou and Andrew Fifita also made a huge difference, but let’s not take anything away from the Johnson-inspired Kiwis.
The one really bright spark was rookie Roo Ben Hunt, who only made two brief appearances off the bench, but made his presence felt immediately with a try in each Test.
Even though he was the third dummy half after Cooper Cronk and Daly Cherry-Evans, Hunt was the most effective of the three.
What was disappointing with the Kangaroos was the persistent one pass, tackled, one pass, tackled, one pass, tackled…
Apart from the monotony of watching such negativity, and predictability, the likes of Inglis and the two rookie wingers Josh Mansour and Sione Mata’utia, the youngest Kangaroo in history, were not seen to advantage.
When they got a sniff, both wingers looked dangerous. But it was a long time between drinks.
Inglis is like Wallaby fullback Israel Folau. Ignoring their massive attacking ability is a crime, but both are suffering the same fate at the moment by being ignored by those in front of them.
Neither should wither on the vine, it’s such a waste of talent.
So rugby league goes into competitive hibernation for roughly three months. For Kiwis there will be a lot of celebrating. For the Kangaroos, just a lot of pain.