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Relieved Mal Meninga insists Australia can play BETTER despite thrilling 16-14 victory over New Zealand in Rugby League World Cup semi-final… as ‘proud’ skipper James Tedesco praises Kangaroos’ work ethic
Mal Meninga insisted Australia can ‘play better’ after the Kangaroos won an epic Test against New Zealand to secure a spot in next week’s Rugby League World Cup final.
The defending champions emerged victorious from a titanic battle on Elland Road in Leeds 16-14, surviving an almighty fear against the Kiwis, who entered the tournament as the No. 1 ranked team in the world.
Australia lagged behind an early attempt by Jahrome Hughes and fell behind at half-time after Dylan Brown scored New Zealand’s second four-pointer shortly before half-time.
Mal Meninga insisted the Kangaroos can play better after a 16-14 win over New Zealand
Cameron Murray scored the winning try for Australia in the second half, putting them against England or Samoa at Old Trafford next Saturday.
After the game, a relieved Meninga admitted that his team had been pushed all the way after they played their first four games.
‘Fantastic. That was Rugby Trial Match. New Zealand threw everything but the sink at us,” he told BBC Sport.
“I’m just glad we’re on the winning side. It’s up there. It was a great challenge for both sides and it was a great advertisement for the game.
The narrow win over the Kiwis secured a spot in the Rugby League World Cup final for the Australians, who aim to win the tournament for a record 12th time
“I’m sure we can play better, but New Zealand wouldn’t let us.”
A visibly proud Kangaroos captain James Tedesco admitted the defending champions got a real test from New Zealand, but said the result highlighted the work ethic typical of successful Australian teams.
“Very proud of our efforts, it was a tough game. We held on and won,” he said.
James Tedesco (left) said he was proud of the kangaroos’ work ethic after the win
“We are proud of our work ethic. We just work hard. We knew that if we went deep and disciplined, we could win it at the end.
“It felt end-to-end. New Zealand came out very passionate and motivated. It was a great performance. We certainly deserved it, we are already looking forward to the final.’
Josh Addo-Carr struck a similar note, noting that the see-saw nature of the affair made it nearly impossible to pick a winner until the final whistle.
Josh Addo-Carr scored a stunning attempt to level Australia in the first half
The Kangaroos winger has now equaled the tournament record of 12 tries
The Bulldogs winger scored a sensational try, racing down the left wing to clear Ben Hunt’s kick to level Australia in the first half and equal the tournament record of 12 tries.
“It was a special race to compete in, it was really tough,” he said.
“Luckily we got away with it, anyone could have won this game.
‘It was a special match, we can now learn a lot of things from this match and on to the next.’