Australia enact revenge on New Zealand as Angus Crichton makes huge blunder in 22-10 victory

Australia got revenge on New Zealand for last year’s heartbreaking Pacific Cup final with a 22-10 win that propelled the Kangaroos into the decider of this year’s tournament.

It comes as some are poking fun at the return of Kangaroo Angus Crichton after he appeared to drop the ball as he went to put it down for a try during the match.

Nearly a year after the Kiwis handed Australia their biggest defeat, a try-scoring double from Zac Lomax on Sunday reduced the chances of another defeat in front of a hostile Christchurch crowd.

Either way, the win over an admittedly under-par New Zealand helps justify a series of changes made to the Australian team following last year’s 30-0 debacle in Hamilton.

Australia will meet the winner of New Zealand’s match against Tonga in the Pacific Cup final at Sydney’s CommBank Stadium on November 10.

Crichton was roasted by many online and in the commentary box, with Matt Thompson expressing his disbelief at the moment.

Despite a career-best season, Crichton produced one of the most stunning bombed tries in recent memory when he strolled over in the opening minutes.

Crichton had juggled Tom Dearden’s flat pass before laying the ball down to silence the Kiwi crowd after just four minutes.

Replays showed the second rower had dropped the ball just inches above the grass without a defender on him.

“Don’t tell me he dropped the ball…oh he did,” Thompson said.

‘Isn’t that what they teach you when you’re under 9? Don’t put it down with one hand.’

Andrew Johns even went so far as to tell the second row what his punishment should be.

“Is that the one where he only has half a finger?” Blame that.

“The punishment for that is you have to wrestle the coach.”

Some online were far less forgiving of Crichton, who made his first international appearance since 2022 during the match.

“Talk about Angus Crichton’s ultimate butchered effort. #PacificChamps,” one person wrote.

“Angus Crichton you’ve got to be kidding me #NZLvAUS #PacificChamps,” another added.

The Kiwis were thrilled when players like Jahrome Hughes, Moses Leota, Dylan Brown and Ronaldo Mulitalo were forced out of Stacey Jones’ first game as head coach due to injuries.

But the Kangaroos found success attacking their left side, where defensively weaker players Matt Timoko and Will Warbrick lined up alongside the makeshift five-eighth Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad.

Lomax owed both his tries to raids along that edge, first clearing Tom Trbojevic’s line break and then passing a Harry Grant pass midway through the second half.

The Kiwis threatened to make a game of it when Warbrick put one back to Lomax to reduce the deficit to six points as the final 15 minutes approached.

But on the same right, full-back Dylan Edwards showed no sign of his troublesome knee injury as he wandered through the line and passed to a flying Moses, who sealed the result.

Lindsay Collins helped his Sydney Roosters teammate save face by scoring the first points.

The big prop spotted Keano Kini defending in the front line and charged through both the full-back and Phoenix Crossland on a 40-yard gallop to the line.

Making his fairytale return from rugby league retirement, Kiwi fan favorite Shaun Johnson kicked excellently all afternoon while rival halfback Moses endured a mixed game with the boot.

Johnson forced back-to-back line clearances with his short kicking game to signal a period of Kiwi dominance early in the second half, having had a hand in the hosts’ opener.

The halfback steered play to the right, where Isaiah Papali’i and Kini each came up with quick passes to assist Jamayne Isaako.