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Kangaroos vs New Zealand: 2013 Rugby League World Cup Final live scores, blog

Roar Guru
30th November, 2013
Teams

Australia (19 man squad)

Cameron Smith (c), Greg Bird, Darius Boyd, Daly Cherry-Evans, Cooper Cronk, Andrew Fifita, Jarryd Hayne, Paul Gallen, Greg Inglis, Brett Morris, Nate Myles, Josh Papalii, Corey Parker, Matthew Scott, Billy Slater, James Tamou, Brent Tate, Sam Thaiday, Johnathan Thurston.

New Zealand (19 man squad)

Simon Mannering (c), Jesse Bromwich, Greg Eastwood, Kieran Foran, Alex Glenn, Bryson Goodwin, Shaun Johnson, Sam Kasiano, Kevin Locke, Issac Luke, Ben Matulino, Jason Nightingale, Frank-Paul Nu'uausala, Elijah Taylor, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Manu Vatuvei, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Dean Whare, Sonny Bill Williams.

Kickoff: 1.30am AEDT
Venue: Old Trafford, Manchester
Last time: Australia 32 New Zealand 12; April 2013
History: Played 125; Kangaroos 93, Kiwis 29, drawn 3
TV: Live 7mate (1.00am AEDT)
Betting: Australia $1.83, New Zealand $3.75
Darius Boyd named at full-back (Source: AFP PHOTO / GLYN KIRK)
Roar Guru
30th November, 2013
279
13656 Reads

A fascinating 2013 Rugby League World Cup concludes with what should be an epic final between trans-Tasman rivals Australia and New Zealand. Join us for live scores and commentary from 1.30am AEDT.

The stage is set for one of the great rugby league world cup finals as the Kangaroos play a New Zealand side that arguably performed the greatest of escapes against England last week.

With less than a minute to go, Shaun Johnson managed to score the match winning try en route to sealing a 20-18 victory against the English.

Despite showing strong character to secure their place in another final, New Zealand will have to improve tenfold if they hope to defend their crown against Australia.

The Kiwis really struggled to play percentage football against England, committing numerous errors when in possession.

New Zealand’s forwards really must respect possession tonight against a Kangaroos outfit that does not need too many invitations to post points.

With this in mind, expect the Kiwis to knuckle down and really muscle up in the forwards against a tough Kangaroos pack.

The battle upfront should be tremendous to say the least with Origin stars Paul Gallen, Matt Scott and James Tamou coming up against premiership winners Sonny Bill Williams, Jared Waerea Hargreaves and Jesse Bromwich.

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Cameron Smith’s battle against Issac Luke should also be intriguing, given that both players play a key role in igniting their team’s offence up the middle.

Australia however does possess an important advantage in the backline, with stars such as Darius Boyd, Jarryd Hayne, Billy Slater and Greg Inglis all accustomed performers on the big stage.

New Zealand’s backline however is more prone to producing errors when placed under pressure, and the likes of Bryson Goodwin and Kevin Locke in particular will have a tough time matching up against Slater and Inglis respectively.

The Kangaroos are also well served in the halves, with all time greats Cooper Cronk and Johnathon Thurston lining up against Kieran Foran and Shaun Johnson.

Johnson in particular will have to produce a career defining performance if he hopes to get the better of Thurston tonight.

Despite scoring the match winning try against England last week, Johnson remains a rock or diamonds type of player and really needs to play the percentages well against Australia.

If Johnson and Foran can treat every situation on its merit, then New Zealand will go a long way to matching the Kangaroos pound for pound in the final.

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While their record in Anzac test matches remains poor, there is no excuse for New Zealand if they lose convincingly tonight.

On paper, they possess a squad very capable of beating Australia, and should provide the Kangaroos with their toughest test of the tournament to date.

With a titanic tussle expected, Australia’s class in the backline may just prove decisive in a final that signals the end to another terrific year of rugby league.

Australia by four.

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