Will EvansHighlights of the Four Nations
November 16th 2009 05:28
- Greg Inglis: Single-handedly saved Australia in the tournament opener against NZ, while his performance in the first half in the pool game against England was a masterclass. Quieter in the final, but still a quality display in which he finished off arguably the try of the tournament chasing down a Jarryd Hayne kick. Untouchable at times, and finished off a brilliant year on the field with the Golden Boot Award.
-Sam Burgess: The Rabbitohs have snared a special player in English powerhouse Sam Burgess. Big enough to play prop but has the mobility to comfortably play in the back-row, as he did in the final. Burgess breaks the line almost at will and is a great hole-runner, but the steps he put on Civoniceva and Slater will ensure he will be in every NRL coach's defensive brief in 2010.
-The world champion Kiwis are bitterly disappointed with their failure to qualify for the final after a lacklustre loss to England, but their display in the 20-all draw with Australia was first class. NZ were the better team on the day by quite a margin, and would have relished a repeat showdown with the rattled Kangaroos.
-The Rookies: AUS Brett Morris scored six tries in his first four Tests, finding himself in the starting XIII after initially missing out on the touring squad; twin brother Josh bagged a double on debut against France; Michael Jennings scored a hat-trick on debut in a man of the match display against France and put considerable pressure on veteran centre Justin Hodges for a spot in the final; forwards Ben Hannant, Brett White and David Shillington all proved they were worthy of call-ups to the national side.
NZ Unearthed an impressive talent in aggressive forward Jared Warea-Hargreaves, who played just five games for Manly this year but appeared in all three Tests on tour; Junior Sau was a powerhouse in the centres, causing Australia's left-side defence constant headaches and scoring a barnstorming try; Bryson Goodwin backed up his remarkable year with the Bulldogs to clinch a wing spot for the Kiwis. Proved himself as a fine goalkicker as well as an accomplished finisher; Manly five-eighth Keiran Foran debuted out of position at centre against England and let nobody down. Shapes as a long-term Test player for NZ; Roosters' prop Frank-Paul 'the Wrecking Ball' Nu'uausala stepped up in the absence of Roy Asotasi to form a great front-row combination with Fui Fui Moimoi, scoring NZ's opening try against Australia.
ENG Young halves Kyle Eastmond and Sam Tompkins handled the step up to international level with aplomb, and will come to the antipodes for next year's Four Nations even better players. Eastmond was magnificent in the defeat of NZ that propelled England into the final.
-Billy Slater vindicated his retention of the fullback spot, despite calls to for Jarryd Hayne to move in to the No. 1 role. Scoring five tries in two games against England, including three in the final, Slater continued his devastating form from the NRL finals. His brilliant tap-back from over the dead-ball line for Cam Smtih to score underlined his status as one of the top five players in the world.
-France provided far more resistance for the three world Rugby League superpowers than expected. They led England at halftime in the tournament opener and held NZ and Australia to 16-6 and 8-0 at the break respectively, before being overrun by their more experienced rivals. Another great sign for the future was the prominence of French players among the standout performers, rather than resedentially-qualified Australians, although Clint Greenshields was superb throughout the tournament. Coach Bobby Goulding's drunken night at the RLIF awards took some of the gloss off a great tournament for the French, but there are great signs for the future. Disappointly, France won't get the chance to play Australia and NZ for another two years - and the only way for the weaker nations to improve is to have the chance to consistently play against the world's best.
-Although disappointed with the scoreline blow-out in the final, Tony Smith's English side will be delighted with their return to the fop shelf of international sides after last year's World Cup debacle. Showed tremendous character to claw their way back after trailing Australia 26-0 at halftime in the round-robin, and their win against world champs NZ was gritty and courageous. Pushed the Kangaroos all the way in the final and led well into the second half. The Poms will head Down Under for the 2010 Four Nations full of confidence.
-Darren Lockyer posted milestone after milestone during the Four Nations, but the Australian captain played as though he was as fresh as ever. He was one of the Kangaroos' best and took on more responsiblity with the ball than we have seen from him in three years in a representative jersey.
-Petero Civoniceva's achievement in breaking Johnny Raper's record for most appearances by an Australian Test forward speaks volumes for his toughness, durability and consistency. Still the number one prop in the game.
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