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Inexperienced and tired Kiwis collapse against England in Denver Test

June 24, 2018

Relive the Kiwis' loss to England in the historic Denver Test. 

Kiwis 18 - 36 England

Issac Luke leads the haka
Kangaroos v Kiwis, international rugby league, ANZAC test match, New Zealand v Australia, GIO Stadium, Canberra, Australia. 5 May 2017, Copyright Image: Paul Seiser / www.photosport.nz

80 mins: James Graham took the kick and sprayed it wide. That's fulltime, the Kiwis shot themselves in the foot too often which you can't do normally, but in warm conditions and at altitude, it's a killer. After being 12 up, a battle-hardened England side made the Kiwis pay.  

79 mins: Bateman has crashed over to end the match. A soft finish for the Kiwis

69 mins: DWZ is in! Luke made the break and DWZ was on hand to finish it off. He may have dropped it though. It's awarded anyway. Isaako converts. 

68 mins: Bateman throws it into touch. Small mercies for the Kiwis. 

65 mins: They've done it again...the Kiwis have kicked it out on the full from the kick-off. For the third time. 

64 mins: Makinson is in! England have scored again. Another direction-less attack from the Kiwis broke down and England latched on to the chance to score. Widdop converts!

60 mins: Widdop converts. It's looking ominous for the Kiwis. 

59 mins: England are in again! Connor makes a break and throws a dummy to lose DWZ. That's a fine try!

57 mins: RFM puts one down after a pass from Hiku. That ends a promising movement. 

54 mins: The kick off has gone out on the full. The Kiwis shoot themselves in the foot. Widdop is going to kick for goal from halfway. With altitude. Absolutely no issue - England up by 8.

53 mins: Widdop converts to put England up by a converted try.

52 mins: Whitehead is in again! Widdop put a grubber in and Whitehead was on hand to recieve the pass backing up through the middle. 

51 mins: A NZ set ends meekly five metres out from teh English line. There was plenty of touch footy in that set. 

47 mins: DWZ climbs high to defuse a bomb superbly. 

46 mins: Widdop makes no mistake to level the scores. 

45 mins: Push and shove between Tapine and England Makinson. Ref is speaking to both captains. England will get the penalty for Luke standing on an English hand and they'll take the shot for goal to level the scores up.

44 mins: Whitehead with a superb juggling offload. 

41 mins: The Kiwis get an early penalty in the second half and an early chance to attack. 

40 mins: That's halftime. It's been an entertaining clash, plenty of offloads and the Kiwis producing some good defence too. 

39 mins: Wow, Widdop has missed the conversion. 12-10 it remains. 

38 mins: Whitehead has crashed over! He charged onto a short ball and there was no stopping him. 

36 mins: NAS has gone close! But he was held up. Bit of a scuffle betwee Burgess and NAS before the play the ball. Both players get spoken to and we'll get on with it.

35 mins: Luke with a massive 40/20! It comes at the perfect time for the Kiwis. 

34 mins: Hiku gets back into the filed of play from his own in-goal. 

32 mins: Hall may have scored in the corner with one of those brilliant diving efforts. He's got his legs up and the ball down. Nice finish. Hint of a fumble with one replay but it's been awarded.

30 mins: Ah Mau goes so close. I don't think he's got it down but it's being looked at. It's confirmed that he lost it. 

29 mins: Isaako converts. 

28 mins: The Kiwis are in again! DWZ finishes it off after Luke made the bust. The fullback was perfectly positioned back up the middle.

26 mins: The Kiwis have bombed a try. Marsters made a break but he couldn't draw the fullback and find Isaako. The pass looked forward but Isaako dropped it regardless.

24 mins: Tom Burgess has barged his way over from close range. We're checking something, he's dropped it short of the line. An escape for the Kiwis. That's official now.

23 mins: Isaako couldn't hang on to a towering bomb under pressure from a chaser too. He's getting treatment now after getting one across the chops.

21 mins: T Burgess is held up. NZ are defending strongly. 

20 mins: JWH gives away a penalty for a shot on Burgess. 

19 mins: RFM with a ridiculous offload that Marsters managed to hang on to but there's a knock on later to end the set. By the way, RFM is Ray Faitala-Mariner and NAS is Nelson Asofa-Solomona.

14 mins: Marsters makes a break but can't find his support. Then Isaako produced a ridiculous flick pass. Unfortunately, Luke's grubber ran dead.

11 mins: He converts. 

10 mins: The Kiwis have scored! Nikorima made a break before finding Marsters on the inside. Try on debut for the young man. It was far from the perfect start but still, the Kiwis have taken the lead. Isaako to kick for goal. 

8 mins:  Taupau has cleaned up Lomax late. The Englishman is receiving treatment. 

5 mins: NAS rattles one of the Englishman. Nikorima with a fantastic tackle to stop Sam Burgess on the Kiwis' line. 

3 mins: The Kiwis have conceded apenalty. At altitude, that gives up a huge amount of metres but England turn the ball over on attack.

2 mins:  The Englishman is bundeled into touch by the Kiwis. They defended Luke's mistake nicely. 

1 mins: Luke has kicked it dead. Horrible start as the altitude comes into play early. 

8:12am - The players are waiting on a tee. Here it comes. Let's hope the game is better than the pre-game.

8:09am - The Issac Luke-led haka gets a great reception from the crowd in Denver. 

8:08am - It's time for the haka after one of the worst renditions of the New Zealand anthem you'll hear - and it was the commentator that said that. 

8:03am -  The players are making away out onto the field now. It's a warm, sunny afternoon with the temperature around 30 degrees. James Graham has zinc on, a wise decision.. 

Preview: It's a new era for the Kiwis on a new frontier for rugby league. In his first Test as Kiwis coach, Michael Maguire named seven debutants.

Warriors wing Ken Maumalo makes his first appearance for New Zealand, having previously represented Samoa, joined by Esan Marsters and Jamayne Isaako as the backline's new faces.

In the forwards, Slade Griffin, Leeson Ah Mau, Herman Ese'ese will all make their debuts off the bench, while Ray Faitala-Mariner all starts in the back row.

Issac Luke will led the side in his return to the Kiwis. He is the most experienced member of the side with 42 caps to his name.

Kiwis:  1. Dallin Watene-Zelezniak, 2. Jamayne Isaako, 3. Esan Marsters, 4. Peta Hiku, 5. Ken Maumalo, 6. Te Maire Martin, 7. Kodi Nikorima, 8. Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, 9. Issac Luke, 10. Nelson Asofa-Solomona, 15. Ray Faitala-Mariner, 12. Joseph Tapine, 13. Martin Taupau.

Interchange: 11. James Fisher-Harris, 14. Slade Griffin, 16. Herman Ese'ese, 17. Leeson Ah Mau.

England:  Stefan Ratchford; Jermaine McGillvary, Tommy Makinson, Mark Percival, Ryan Hall; Jonny Lomax, Gareth Widdop; Sam Burgess, James Roby, James Graham, Elliott Whitehead, John Bateman, Sean O'Loughlin (c),

Interchange: Thomas Burgess, Chris Hill, Scott Taylor, Jake Connor.

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