Woeful Aussies 'embarrassed' in worst-ever loss as ruthless Kiwis ...

New Zealand has stunned Australia’s Kangaroos 30-0 in the final of the Pacific Championships, earning revenge for last year’s World Cup semi-final defeat in a one-sided affair at Waikato Stadium.

It was New Zealand’s first win over Australia in four attempts and just a second in ten matches. More than that – it was Australia’s heaviest-ever international loss.

Coming just one week after an 18 point win to the Kangaroos in Melbourne, the rematch could not have been more emphatic.

New Zealand scored two tries in the first half before running away with it in the second, all while keeping Australia scoreless in a relentless display.

From the first moment, the Kiwis played with aggression and urgency, attacking with creativity and incisiveness and defending with power and discipline.

The New Zealand forward line battered the Australians while halves duo Dylan Brown and Jahrome Hughes were outstanding, the latter particularly effective – taking on the line, delivering smart passes, and kicking well. The pair combined for 11 tackle busts on their 14 runs.

New Zealand were heavily criticised for their backline play in last week’s defeat, with widespread calls for centre Joey Manu to be moved to fullback in place of Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

But coach Michael Maguire stuck with his same 17 and was rewarded with an exceptional performance from his fullback - named player of the match after 212 run metres, four offloads and a try assist - and wingers Jamayne Isaako and Ronaldo Mulitalo.

Mulitalo opened the scoring and put on a monster shot on Australia’s Valentine Holmes in a sublime first-half performance, while Isaako scored twice either side of halftime, kicking four of five conversions and a penalty to boot.

Matthew Timoko and bench forward Griffin Neame rounded out the scoring with tries in the final 20 minutes.

It was an absolute demolition job.Source: Getty Images

“This has been a flogging,” Steve Roach said in commentary, after Andrew Voss labelled it a “thrashing.”

“It’s an embarrassing result for Australian rugby league,” Greg Alexander said at full time.

Ten New Zealand players racked up more than 100 run metres compared with just two Australians, while the Kangaroos had a staggering 47 missed tackles in total (NZ had 23).

New Zealand finished with nine line breaks to one and 14 offloads to three.

NZ captain James Fisher-Harris “They gave us a hiding last week. We learned from it... this is our moment.”

“It’s our time,” he declared.

Australia captain James Tedesco said: “You boys played out of your skin tonight – just killed it... We just got outplayed by a better side today.”

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MATCH CENTRE: New Zealand vs Australia scores, stats, updates

Mulitalo flattened Holmes with a huge tackle.Source: FOX SPORTS

AS IT HAPPENED

In a fired-up start to the contest, the big hits came in thick and fast – but so did the errors, with both sides coughing up possession repeatedly in the opening ten minutes.

Having struggled early on last week, New Zealand this time began in much better fashion, attacking with creativity and offloading at every opportunity.

Twice they surged into the Australian 20 without managing to score.

The second occasion – ten minutes in – James Fisher-Harris attempted a kick on the third tackle. It was truly a miserable kick and with no chasers on the shock attempted kick, Australia easily gained possession.

Steve Roach said in commentary: “I think he’ll get the NKA – ‘never kick again’. That was terrible!”

But New Zealand’s weight of possession and aggressive start finally paid off in the 15th minute when Ronaldo Mulitalo crossed the line in the left corner.

Mulitalo had made a brilliant break earlier in the set but was wrapped up well by Australia fullback James Tedesco. The ball was sprayed out to the right flank, but a couple of tackles later it came back to the left side with a long pass from Dylan Brown to Mulitalo.

It was Mulitalo’s eighth try in his seventh international Test, and the conversion from Jamayne Isaako made it 6-0.

Australia’s attack was playing ‘within itself’, Roach said, with New Zealand racking up four offloads and three line-breaks in the first 25 minutes – while Australia had zero in either category.

“There’s been no momentum through the ruck for the Aussies,” Roach said in commentary, praising New Zealand’s line speed in defence that constantly stifled the Australian attack.

New Zealand’s workrate and intensity on both sides of the ball was epitomised by a huge tackle from tryscorer Mulitalo on Valentine Holmes close to the New Zealand tryline.

Holmes raced down the flank and looked for a dummy inside, but Mulitalo lined him up and sent him sprawling onto the grass.

Roach roared. “It was some sort of shot!

“That’s a beauty, that’s a pearler!”

Voss said: “If you stop the match now, he’s got the player of the match trophy! He’s making big tackles, catching kicks, scoring tries, making breaks!”

Jahrome Hughes was increasing in influence, troubling Australia with his slick link-ups and short kicking game.

And with five minutes left in the half, he orchestrated a well-executed backline move, finding Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad who immediately passed to Jamayne Isaako to dive over in the corner.

Isaako nailed the sideline conversion to make it 12-0.

Roach said: “The Australians have barely looked like scoring … haven’t thrown much at them.”

It was just the second time in eight years that NZ had led at halftime over the Kangaroos.

And Australia’s frustrations nearly boiled over at the break as the teams walked off, with plenty of push-and-shove between the rivals.

Andrew Voss declared the Kiwis were “relentless” in the first half, while Cooper Cronk said NZ were “absolutely dominating”.

The halftime stats were damning: New Zealand had five linebreaks to one, nine offloads to two, and with 20 fewer missed tackles (34-12)!

“I thought it was a typo,” injured Kiwi star Brandon Smith said of Australia’s 34 missed tackles.

Leo Thompson was incredible off the bench for New Zealand, with nine runs for 81 metres including a tackle bust. That was more run metres than any Australian starter.

New Zealand’s brilliant form carried into the second stanza as they extended their lead in the 47th.

On the back of an Australian knock-on in the Kangaroos’ half, the Kiwis surged from the scrum and made it three tries.

Hughes took on the line and flicked a pass to Isaako, who scored his second of the game with a stunning dive to get the ball just millimetres inside the chalk under pressure from Munster.

Jamayne Isaako just got the ball down in time. Picture: SuppliedSource: Supplied

He just missed the conversion, but the 16-0 lead was well-deserved.

Roach roared: “What about the money pass from Hughes, he’s having a blinder!”

And New Zealand virtually put the game to bed with 20 minutes to play with a fourth unanswered try.

Hughes and Brown combined on the left side, with the latter showing soft hands to feed Matt Timoko, the 23-year-old Canberra Raiders rising star rewarded for a hardworking performance with a maiden international try.

Isaako kept up his strong kicking game with a clinical penalty from range.

Then bench forward Griffin Neame burst through the Australian defence to score under the posts in the 71st minute, with Isaako converting to make it a whopping 30-0.

TEAMS

Australia

1. James Tedesco 2. Dylan Edwards 3. Hamiso Tabuai-Fidow 4. Kotoni Staggs 5. Valentine Holmes 6. Cameron Munster 7. Daly Cherry-Evans 8. Payne Haas 9. Ben Hunt 10. Tino Fa’asuamaleaui 17. Reuben Cotter 12. Liam Martin 13. Isaah Yeo 14. Harry Grant 15. Lindsay Collins 16. Patrick Carrigan 18. Nicho Hynes

Reserve: 19. Thomas Flegler

There was a late change for Australia, with last week’s tryscorer Cameron Murray ruled out on game day due to tendinitis.

Meninga said the injury was at the “top of his hamstring”.

“He’s been carrying that injury all year, he’s been playing with it,” he said, adding that Wednesday’s session saw Murray’s injury flare up again.

18th man Nicho Hynes joined the interchange bench, while Reuben Cotter – who was set to start on the bench – received a reprieve and started.

Pat Carrigan recovered from a cork that saw him miss Wednesday training and started, with Thomas Flegler becoming the new 18th man.

New Zealand

1. Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad 2. Ronaldo Mulitalo 3. Matthew Timoko 4. Joseph Manu 5. Jamayne Isaako 6. Dylan Brown 7. Jahrome Hughes 8. James Fisher-Harris 9. Kieran Foran 10. Moses Leota 11. Isaiah Papali’i 12. Briton Nikora 13. Joseph Tapine 14. Fa’amanu Brown 15. Nelson Asofa-Solomona 16. Griffin Neame 17. Leo Thompson

Reserve: 18. Naufahu Whyte

New Zealand named an unchanged 17 from last week – with Joey Manu remaining in the centres despite calls to move him to fullback.