Preview: Centenary Test
Venue & Time: Westpac Stadium, 1:00pm AEST, Sunday October 14
Head To Head: Played 99, Kangaroos 70, Kiwis 27, draws 2
Last Time: Kangaroos 30 - Kiwis 6 at Suncorp Stadium, April 20, 2007
Walking Wounded: Kiwi centre Steve Matai is a certain starter for Sunday’s Centenary Test, but will not take part in New Zealand’s upcoming tour of England due to scheduled shoulder surgery immediately following the Wellington game. The Kangaroos suffered a double blow with centre Justin Hodges (ankle) and back-rower Paul Gallen (shoulder) pulling out with injuries. Their absence allows Storm duo Dallas Johnson and Israel Folau to make their Test debuts with 18 year-old Folau set to become the youngest player in history to wear the green and gold for the Kangaroos. New Test skipper Cameron Smith will play despite joining the camp late after his mother fell ill, while debutant fullback Brett Stewart has fully recovered from the sickening knock he copped in the grand final.
Form: The last time these two teams met back in April the Kangaroos emerged comfortable 30-6 winners at Suncorp Stadium. Both sides will be fielding vastly different line-ups for this clash with Australia taking a whopping eight debutants into the match and the Kiwis' six. Kangaroo selectors have gone with form as their main criteria with seven players taken from the premiership-winning Storm side while post-season surgery has robbed the Kiwis of established Test stars Nathan Cayless, Sonny Bill Williams and Benji Marshall.
Who’s Hot: Kiwi skipper Roy Asotasi had a stellar season for his new club the Rabbitohs, maintaining his ranking as one of the best props, if not, the best prop in the game. He is the most experienced member of an inexperienced Kiwi squad with just 17 Test caps to his name. The standout performer in the grand final was undoubtedly Storm and Australian star Greg Inglis, who saved his best showing for the year for the biggest stage. Inglis scored two brilliant solo tries and played a part in a couple of others to take the prestigious Clive Churchill Medal. However, he will not get the chance to replicate those heroics feats in the number six jersey for the Kangaroos with selectors preferring to play him wider out in the centres.
We Think: With both sides fielding a combined total of 14 Test debutants for this match, confidently predicting a winner is a tough gig, but with the Kangaroos trotting out no less than seven players from the all-conquering Storm premiership side combinations may just help the Aussies get over the line. The Kiwis appear to have a slight edge in the forwards with Moimoi and Asotasi forming a power-packed front-row combination, but they are light on in the halves without the likes of Marshall and more importantly the now retired Stacey Jones on hand to offer some much-needed direction. Class and combinations to get the Aussies home in what should be a physical 100th Test Match between the two rival countries. Kangaroos by 8.