Last-gasp Smith saves Kangaroos

Australia 20 New Zealand 20

IF a draw is like kissing your sister, what does a draw against New Zealand feel like? Kissing a Kiwi? Australia's Kangaroos may not resort to those measures but they were certainly embracing themselves after using a get-out-of-jail card to tie with their tournament nemesis this morning in London.

New Zealand had led 20-14 with just two minutes remaining, before Greg Inglis sent Australian hooker and Melbourne Storm teammate Cameron Smith over. Halfback Johnathan Thurston calmly potted the conversion and the Australians were breathing heavy sighs of relief not to mention fatigue.

The Kiwis themselves had clawed their way back into the contest after the Australians appeared to be surging to victory. The Kangaroos led 14-6, 10 minutes into the second half before a quick-fire Kiwi comeback looked to have continued Australian misery against New Zealand in tournament football.

The Australians were lacklustre throughout but that can be put down to rustiness. It was their first run of the Four Nations and the first match for many of its players in months, and they will be better for it.

They showed enough in front of a crowd of 12,360 to suggest they will be hard to handle when they shift into a higher gear. Inglis, who was dangerous all night, was the best example of that.

The match started with a Martin Bella moment as Fuifui Moimoi stepped on the deadball line as he fielded Cameron Smith's kick-off. But it only served to fire the big brute up, and the next time he found himself with the ball he stomped all over Smith in the way we are used to, earning a penalty as a result, the third blown against the Australians in the opening minutes.

That put the Kiwis on the front foot and Frank-Paul Nuuausala of the Sydney Roosters, who started in place of Jeff Lima, stormed through a hole after just five minutes to give the New Zealanders the first try. The Kangaroos hit back with concerted pressure, but that was met with resolute defence from the Kiwis.

The Kangaroos clearly had a plan to send traffic to the left side quickly; Greg Inglis and Brett Morris up against Junior Sau and Sam Perrett. But for a time, the Kiwis were stout. Halfback Nathan Fien and Sau dragged Morris out, and then after 22 minutes, the Kangaroos had their best chance when both Sau and Perrett marked up on the menacing Inglis. The centre sent the ball Morris's way again, but, perhaps seeing his first Test try still 20 metres before the line, the winger's legs failed him, and he stumbled.

Melbourne's premiership winners looked the most dangerous. Smith was leading the Kangaroos around the park and he again gave Inglis some space with a wonderful 28th minute pass. This time, Inglis really did have some space - 60 metres of it - and he surged downfield before handing the ball to Morris, whose legs did not fail him on this occasion (although his hands almost did, with referee Steve Ganson sending the try upstairs to the video official after Morris's clumsy looking put-down).

The Australians had finally found the line and not long after the match found its fire. Paul Gallen, who enjoys niggling the Kiwis as much as they relish responding to it, missed Isaac Luke with a swinging arm and the feisty hooker from South Sydney hit back. The pair traded blows as others joined in, with Adam Blair appearing to run from Twickenham high street to get in on the shenanigans.

Ganson, to his credit, kept his head when the players wouldn't, warning the skippers but opting against using the sin bin.

Halftime cooled things down but the Australians had already settled into their groove. The second half was only four minutes old when halfback Thurston showed why he can use cheek and freak at the same time, stripping the ball from Lance Hohaia five metres out from the Kiwi line and giving the Kangaroos the lead for the first time in the contest. Thurston was the man to extend it after 50 minutes, slotting a penalty goal.

But we know the Kiwis have fight to match the fire, and after Thurston could only force the ball dead following a dangerous Kiwi surge down their right edge, centre Junior Sau crashed his way through four Australian defenders to score.

Luke missed the conversion and the Kiwis still trailled by four. Not for too much longer, however. With just 11 minutes remaining, Hohaia earned redemption from his earlier lapse when he stepped inside Billy Slater's poor attempted tackle and scored with Goodwins conversion lifting the Kiwis to a 16-14 lead.

Frank Pritchard's try in the 75th minute appeared to wrap the game up for New Zealand but Bryson Goodwin's missed conversion, admittedly from the sideline, proved costly.

Australia 20: Johnathan Thurston, Brett Morris, Cameron Smith tries; Thurston 4 goals. New Zealand 20: Frank Pritchard, Junior Sau, Frank Nuuausala, Lance Hohaia tries; Bryson Goodwin two goals.

Attendance: 12,360

Halftime: Australia 6 New Zealand 6