Rugby League World Cup continues with Pool C action featuring New Zealand v Lebanon which given the pool New Zealand are in, looks to be their toughest game of the group stage.
Our Group C New Zealand v Lebanon Match Centre has a preview, stats, team lists before the game and a summary of the match afterwards. More than you could ever need or want.
If you want more information on all the squads – follow this link here.
New Zealand 34 Lebanon 12 – Match Summary
After the usual stirring haka it was time to get Pool C’s big game underway, and when Lebanon pull out the short kick off to start the game you know you’re in for excitement.
That excitement continued as less than 60 seconds later the Lebanese side has crossed for a try through Josh Mansour. After a lengthy video review Lebanon got the first points of the match. To be fair there looked enough for it to be a no try with a dodgy looking grubber from Mitchell Moses and what appeared to be a knock on after that, but Mansour followed the ball into the in-goal and scored. Moses kicked the conversion to take a surprise 6-0 lead.
It didn’t take long for the favourites to hit back though. After capitalising on a Lebanon error in their own half, a few plays later Kenny Bromwich rolled his way to the try line, which was set up by Joey Manu somehow getting an offload away despite the attention of three defenders close to the line.
After the exciting opening, the next part of the game descended into a bit of an error-fest, but Lebanon were certainly not getting outplayed by the number one rugby league team in the world.
Lebanon’s resistance to a sustained period of attack on their line by New Zealand eventually ended in the 25th minute. Nelson Asofa-Solomona scored the try, but it was setup by Brandon Smith who attracted four defenders close to the line and then popped up an offload to an unmarked Asofa-Solomona. The Kiwis now led 12-6, but it has to be said were a little scratchy in attack.
Asofa-Solomona was lucky it was the World Cup and not NRL and no long after his try he probably would have been sin binned for a swinging arm on Jacob Kiraz. Kiraz to his credit didn’t lay down and even gave it back to the huge Kiwi forward. Minutes later, after the kick off of the third try Asofa-Solomona was involved in another wrestling match with Lebanon forward Kayne Kalache. In a big period for the big man, he also accidentally gave his team mate Joseph Tapine a headache as they combined in a tackle and clashed heads.
Talking of that third try, New Zealand extended their lead five minutes later, and this one was a bit soft. Kiwi centre Peter Hiku ran the blind side from dummy half on the fifth tackle and simply drove his way to the line from five metres out. Rapana nailed the sideline conversion and the Kiwis led 18-6. That remained the half time score, and it has to be said that Lebanon competed well, but you can see that eventually the extra NRL class of the Kiwis will grind Lebanon down.
HALF TIME – NEW ZEALAND 18 LEBANON 6
Lebanon made the better start to the second half, and like the first half scored through in the corner. Having set themselves up nicely with a magnificent long range 40-20 kick on the third tackle, the Lebanese took full advantage of back to back sets on the Kiwi line and simply went through the hands to the left and Abbas Miski did the rest. Lebanon were now within six points of the Kiwis. And they went close to scoring again a few minutes later with an exciting run down the right wing. Lebanon were right in this game.
But the NRL class of New Zealand showed through the very next set as Joey Manu carved up the middle Lebanon defense, breaking what looked like at least five tackles from the half way line as he jinked infield, then drew the fullback and Dylan Brown was in support to score under the posts. The conversion extended the lead for New Zealand out to 24-12 with 25 minutes to play.
Joey Manu then doubled down on his superstar status with the very next set. He took the ball from dummy half 20 metres out on the fifth tackle, then chipped kicked for himself, regathered, spun out of one tackle, broke another two to score under the posts. Manu had taken the game by the scruff of the neck in the space of three minutes, and basically gave New Zealand what should be a winnable lead from here.
Sadly for Lebanon, as soon as said they were right in this the Kiwis scored three in quick time. The third going to Jordan Rapana who finished off a slick backline movement with his usual zest and force. Of course the final cut out pass was thrown by Joey Manu. The first missed conversion of the match left the score 34-12.
In among all the tries Lebanon’s Adam Doueihi was sent off for dissent. A shame as he had been excellent for them.
Despite going down to 12 players, Lebanon fought on bravely. They had a sustained attack on the Kiwis line which ended in a Lebanon error close to the line, but they also broke down what looked a certain New Zealand try after that.
The game descended into a rabble after that with errors, and no less than three penalties in attack from New Zealand. But the Kiwis had the win they needed, if not the entire performance. Lebanon have the good performance in their toughest game, although they would likely now have to play without Adam Doueihi since he was sent off. Still, with Mitchell Moses and a solid pack and backline they still look good enough to take second spot.
FINAL SCORE
NEW ZEALAND 34
Kenneath Bromwich 5′
Nelson Asofa-Solomona 24′
Peta Hiku 29′
Dylan Brown 54′
Joseph Manu 56′
Jordan Rapana 60′
Jordan Rapana 5/6
LEBANON 12
Josh Mansour 0′
Abbas Miski 45′
Mitchell Moses 2/2
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
3 Pts Joey Manu
2 Pts Adam Doueihi
1 Pt Joseph Tapine
POINTS OF INTEREST
- For those who missed it, Lebanon is coached by former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika. Which might explain the short kicks offs. Something we don’t understand is why teams don’t use it more often, it’s a 50-50 return unlike the standard long kick off.
- Of the three big rugby league nations so far, and all have now played their hardest group match, England have looked the most impressive, and funnily enough against the team that most picked to beat them.
- Nelson Asofa-Solomona might be a little hard done by with some criticism, but nay mini flares ups in the game seemed to involve the Melbourne Storm forward.
- After short kicks off for every Lebanon restart, they tried a long one and kicked it dead. They should stick with the short ones for success and our entertainment.
- One could argue that the Lebanon halves actually won the battle in this match, so still work to do for the Kiwis but great promise for Lebanon if they can build around Moses and Doueihi.
New Zealand v Lebanon Teams
NEW ZEALAND
1 Joseph Manu
2 Ronaldo Mulitalo
4 Peta Hiku
21 Charnze Nicoll-Klokstad
5 Jordan Rapana
6 Dylan Brown
14 Kieran Foran
8 Jesse Bromwich
9 Brandon Smith
10 James Fisher-Harris
11 Isaiah Papali’i
12 Kenneath Bromwich
13 Joseph Tapine
3 Marata Niukore
16 Nelson Asofa-Solomona
17 Briton Nikora
22 Jeremy Marshall-King
19 Dallin Watene-Zelezniak
LEBANON
1 Jacob Kiraz
2 Josh Mansour
4 Brad Morkos
16 Reece Robinson
5 Abbas Miski
6 Adam Doueihi
7 Mitchell Moses
8 Kayne Kalache
15 Andrew Kazzi
19 Khalil Rahme
11 Hanna El-Nachar
12 Charbel Tasipale
13 James Roumanos
9 Michael Tannous
10 Elie El-Zakham
17 Jalal Bazzaz
21 Joshua Maree
14 Anthony Layoun
New Zealand v Lebanon Match Stats
New Zealand v Lebanon Pre Match Stats
- New Zealand lost three of their five World Cup games in 2017.
- Lebanon are yet to score a point v Australia or New Zealand (one Test each)
New Zealand v Lebanon Preview
It’s hard to see anything other than a comfortable New Zealand win here, and this is likely to be their toughest match of the Group Stage. The Kiwis won’t ant to slip up, otherwise finishing second will see them meeting Australia in the first game of the knockout stages. If they finish first they will face either Fiji, Scotland or Italy, with the likeliness in that order. Not forgetting that Fiji beat New Zealand 4-2 at the last World Cup.
But the way New Zealand beat Tonga earlier in the season gives confidence that the Kiwis will get the job done against Lebanon. Joey Manu was the star that day and he probably will be again.
The battle of the halves is a very interesting one we explore in our Players to Watch.
For all the closeness in the halves, Lebanon look like they will be severely out-muscled by the New Zealand forward pack led by James Fisher-Harris, Nelson Asofa-Solomona, Isaiah Papali’i and a couple of Bromwich’s.
Looking through the New Zealand side, you start to wonder if they are going completely under radar with all the hype of the Tonga and Samoa sides. This game will give us a few view of that.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
This game features what may have been the Melbourne Storm halves combination in the later stages of 2022 with the Storm’s pursuit of Lebanon’s Adam Doueihi to play alongside Kiwi halfback Jahrome Hughes. The halves for Lebanon are going to match New Zealand at their best, with Mitchell Moses potentially out to prove a point after the Eels’ Grand Final loss. We guess equally New Zealand’s Dylan Brown could be doing the same.
While New Zealand will have the advantage in the forward pack, our big man to watch for this game and the entire World Cup is Joey Manu, who in our opinion, and given the Kiwi’s relatively easy start to the tournament, is our man for the Player of the Series.
PREDICTION
New Zealand 36 Lebanon 20
