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Rugby League

Great Britain overcome Kiwis

27/10/2007

Great Britain came through a bruising match with New Zealand this evening to claim a 20-14 victory in the first Test match at Huddersfield.

It was a night of missed chances for Great Britain and they were forced to comeback from 10-8 down at half-time to take a 1-0 lead in the three-Test series.

New Zealand took a controversial early lead through a Shontayne Hape try. Replays showed that Hape was offside as he got onto the end of a Thomas Leuluai kick, but the video referee thought otherwise and Lance Hohaia failed to add the two points.

The home side raised their efforts afterwards and should have scored a try of their own but St Helen's youngster James Roby dropped the ball inches from the try-line.

Roby redeemed himself and set up club team-mate Maurie Fa'asavalu to give Great Britain the lead, however. Roby's brilliant flat pass allowed Fa'asavalu to bulldoze pass three Kiwi players to score a try on his debut and Rob Burrow slotted the conversion.

Fa'asavalu should have scored again minutes later as Burrow burst through the Kiwi defence and ran 40 yards towards the New Zealand try-line, but when he was only left to beat the full-back he through out a terrible pass to Fa'asavalu who dropped the ball.

Burrow did convert a penalty to give Great Britain an 8-6 lead. But New Zealand took advantage when Fa'asavalu dropped the ball inside his 20-metre line and Paul Whatuira scored. Hohaia converted the goal kick as New Zealand went in at half-time 10-8 ahead.

But Great Britain came out like a train in the second half and scored two quick tries to seal the win. Winger Gareth Raynor scored first after Kiwi full-back Sam Perrett's inability to touch the ball down in his area. Then Leon Pryce made a wonderful break to setup Sam Burgess to score the second try.

Burrow added the two points for both tries and although New Zealand scored a late try through Hape, Great Britain held on for a deserved victory.