Kiwis Topple Wales But Lose Mckendry

Kiwis Topple Wales But Lose Mckendry

London, England, November 5, 2011 – Kiwi prop Sam McKendry will miss the rest of the Gillette Four Nations after severely breaking his jaw in today’s 36-0 shutout of Wales at Wembley Stadium in London.

The tough 22-year-old Penrith front rower was having surgery tonight after being taken from the field following a heavy 54th-minute collision in a tackle by Welsh forward Craig Kopzcak.

Kiwi team doctor Simon Mayhew said McKendry had suffered multiple fractures of his jaw. He is expected to stay in hospital for up to two nights and will fly home to Sydney as soon as possible.

Arriving at the same hospital a little later was Australian fullback Billy Slater, who was forced off with a broken collarbone early in the Kangaroos’ contest against England, the feature game of today’s doubleheader.

When McKendry left the field the Kiwis were down to two fit players on the bench, having lost interchange prop Fuifui Moimoi with an ankle injury in just the 23rd minute. Moimoi lasted just six minutes after coming on for McKendry but he is expected to be available for the Kiwis’ final round-robin match against England in Hull next Saturday.

With the Kangaroos beating the Kiwis 26-12 last week and England 36-20 today, the England-New Zealand encounter at KC Stadium will be a sudden-death game to find the Australians’ opponents in the final at Elland Road on November 19.

Today’s results leave the Kiwis and England with a win and a loss each as well as exactly the same points for and against difference of plus 22 (the Kiwis have scored 48 points and conceded 26 while England has 62 points for and 40 against).

Playing at the magnificent Wembley Stadium in front of a crowd which later swelled to more than 42,000, the Kiwis were clinical early on as they played to the game plan set for them.

With their completion rate sound, they produced three well-constructed tries in the opening 20 minutes.

Captain Benji Marshall laid on the first after only four minutes, punching a kick through the Welsh line with impressive winger Jason Nightingale timing his chase to perfection to gather the ball for his 10th try in 14 Tests. And Marshall was the architect again nine minutes later when he laid on a sweet inside pass for fullback Kevin Locke to cut through for his second Test try.

When hooker Thomas Leuluai created the first of two tries for second rower Sika Manu in the 20th minute, the score could have blown out dramatically. Instead the points production slowed up although there were two more smart tries for the Kiwis before the break, both with the Marshall stamp on them.

His 31st minute bomb was tapped back by the chasing Locke, debutant Elijah Taylor collecting and sweeping the ball to his right for Manu to score his second try. And, right on halftime, winger Gerard Beale had his first Test try, the result of Marshall shaping to go to the open but pivoting to raid down the short side. He put centre Alex Glenn through a hole and all he needed to do was to shift the ball to Beale on the outside for another nice try.

At 26-0 the afternoon was looking grim for the Welsh but they were never less than willing throughout, especially in the second half when their brutal defence ensured the Kiwis had to work for their rewards (of which there were few in the second spell).

With McKendry gone after 54 minutes, the Kiwis were down on troops and it took until the 62nd minute before they crossed again, Beale handed his second courtesy of a Kieran Foran pass.

Leading 30-0 with 18 minutes to play there was ample time for the Kiwis to inflict further pain but the gallant Welsh refused to yield. Only once more, and then as late as the 76th minute, did they open up when Leuluai, named the man of the match, skipped through the Welsh line and gifted a try for utility Nathan Fien.

By then the Kiwis had used up all 12 interchanges with Glenn taken off in the 70th minute with a slight shoulder injury.

While McKendry’s injury was a setback, there were some encouraging signs, not least on defence with the Kiwis missing just 16 tackles and leaking only one line break.

Adam Blair’s return after a long enforced break was also impressive. He played all but four minutes of the match, carrying the ball 18 times for 128 metres – the most by any of the forwards – and making 28 tackles.

The Kiwis have a pool recovery session in London tomorrow morning and will stay in the city until Tuesday before travelling to their next base in Leeds.

Match details:

At Wembley Stadium, London

Kiwis 36 (Sika Manu 2, Gerard Beale 2, Jason Nightingale, Kevin Locke, Nathan Fien tries; Benji Marshall 4 conversions).

Wales 0.

Halftime: 26-0 Kiwis.

Referee: Matt Cecchin (Australia).

Crowd: 42,344.

Kiwis: Kevin Locke; Gerard Beale, Lewis Brown, Alex Glenn, Jason Nightingale; Benji Marshall (c), Kieran Foran; Sam McKendry, Thomas Leuluai, Ben Matulino; Sika Manu, Adam Blair;p Jeremy Smith. Interchange: Nathan Fien, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Fuifui Moimoi, Elijah Taylor.

New Zealand Rugby League

ENDS

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