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2018 New Zealand rugby league tour of England

The 2018 New Zealand rugby league tour of England was a tour by the New Zealand national rugby league team.[1][2] The New Zealand national rugby league team played a three match test series against England for the Baskerville Shield, losing 2-1.

Background

RLIF World Rankings
Official Rankings as of July 2018[3]
Rank Change* Team Pts%
2 Steady  New Zealand 72.7
3 Steady  England 70.4

New Zealand and England previously played against each other in a mid-season international on 23 June 2018 at Mile High Stadium in Denver, Colorado. England won 36-18.

New Zealand was last in England for the 2016 Rugby League Four Nations. During that tournament New Zealand defeated England 17-16 in Huddersfield.[4] They last played a three match test series against England during the 2015 New Zealand rugby league tour of Great Britain, losing the series 2-1.[5] With the completion of these three tests, New Zealand and England played each other four times in 2018.

Squads

New Zealand

A wider squad was named on 3 September 2018 consisting of the best New Zealand eligible players in the running to play in the upcoming tour.[6] The final touring squad of 23 players was named on 1 October.[7]

On 4 October, Corey Harawira-Naera withdrew from the touring 23-man squad due to a groin injury. Agnatius Paasi and Peta Hiku were subsequently added to the squad.[8]

Ages are as of 27 October 2018, the day of the first test.

Pos. Player Date of birth (age) Games Points Club
Prop Leeson Ah Mau (1989-12-20)20 December 1989 (aged 28) 3 0 St. George Illawarra Dragons
Centre Gerard Beale (1990-07-18)18 July 1990 (aged 28) 0 0 New Zealand Warriors
Prop, Lock Adam Blair (1986-03-20)20 March 1986 (aged 32) 2 0 New Zealand Warriors
Prop Jesse Bromwich (1989-05-03)3 May 1989 (aged 29) 3 4 Melbourne Storm
Second-row, Lock Kenny Bromwich (1991-09-22)22 September 1991 (aged 27) 3 0 Melbourne Storm
Lock, Second-row James Fisher-Harris (1996-01-05)5 January 1996 (aged 22) 2 0 Penrith Panthers
Centre Peta Hiku (1992-12-04)4 December 1992 (aged 25) 0 0 New Zealand Warriors
Fullback, Five-eighth Jahrome Hughes (1994-10-08)8 October 1994 (aged 24) 0 0 Melbourne Storm
Wing Jamayne Isaako (1996-06-05)5 June 1996 (aged 22) 1 0 Brisbane Broncos
Halfback, Five-eighth Shaun Johnson (1990-09-09)9 September 1990 (aged 28) 3 22 New Zealand Warriors
Lock, Second-row Isaac Liu (1991-04-26)26 April 1991 (aged 27) 3 4 Sydney Roosters
Centre Joseph Manu (1996-06-29)29 June 1996 (aged 22) 3 0 Sydney Roosters
Centre Esan Marsters (1996-08-17)17 August 1996 (aged 22) 3 4 Wests Tigers
Wing Ken Maumalo (1994-07-16)16 July 1994 (aged 24) 3 12 New Zealand Warriors
Halfback Kodi Nikorima (1994-04-03)3 April 1994 (aged 24) 3 4 Brisbane Broncos
Prop Agnatius Paasi (1991-11-30)30 November 1991 (aged 26) 0 0 New Zealand Warriors
Second-row Isaiah Papali'i (1998-09-20)20 September 1998 (aged 20) 1 2 New Zealand Warriors
Second-row Kevin Proctor (1989-02-28)28 February 1989 (aged 29) 3 0 Gold Coast Titans
Wing Jordan Rapana (1989-08-15)15 August 1989 (aged 29) 2 0 Canberra Raiders
Hooker, Lock Brandon Smith (1996-05-31)31 May 1996 (aged 22) 3 0 Melbourne Storm
Second-row Joseph Tapine (1994-05-04)4 May 1994 (aged 24) 2 4 Canberra Raiders
Prop, Lock Martin Taupau (1990-02-03)3 February 1990 (aged 28) 2 0 Manly Warringah Sea Eagles
Prop Jared Waerea-Hargreaves (1989-01-20)20 January 1989 (aged 29) 3 0 Sydney Roosters
Fullback, Wing Dallin Watene-Zelezniak (captain) (1995-08-17)17 August 1995 (aged 23) 3 8 Penrith Panthers

Pre-tour matches

13 October 2018 New Zealand New Zealand 26 – 24 Australia Australia Mount Smart Stadium, Auckland
17 October 2018 England  44 – 6  France Leigh Sports Village, Leigh

Baskerville Shield

Venues

Hull Liverpool Leeds
KCOM Stadium Anfield Elland Road
Capacity: 25,400 Capacity: 54,074 Capacity: 37,792

First test

27 October 2018
14:30 BST (UTC+01)
England  18 – 16  New Zealand
Tries: Connor, Gildart, Tomkins
Goals: Connor (3/4)
 Report
 Tries: Marsters, Watene-Zelezniak
Goals: Johnson (4/4)
KCOM Stadium, Kingston-upon-Hull[9]
Attendance: 17,649[10]
Referee: Robert Hicks (England)[11]

Notes:

Second test

4 November 2018
14:30 GMT (UTC+00)
England  20 – 14  New Zealand
Tries: Makinson (3), Connor
Goals: Tomkins (1/1), Connor (1/4)
 Report
 Tries: Maumalo, Watene-Zelezniak
Goals: Johnson (3/3)

Third test

11 November 2018
15:15 GMT (UTC+00)
England  0 – 34  New Zealand
Report
 Tries: Maumalo (2), J. Bromwich, Liu, Nikorima, Tapine
Goals: Johnson (4/5), Papali'i (1/1)

Notes:

References

  1. ^ "Kiwis announce 2018 tour".
  2. ^ "Rugby League Online Ticketing - Web". rugbyleague.tickethour.co.uk.
  3. ^ "Latest World Rankings". Rugby League International Federation. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 12 July 2018.
  4. ^ "England to face New Zealand in three-match series in the autumn of 2018". www.rugby-league.com.
  5. ^ "Tickets on sale for England v New Zealand 2018 International Series". www.rugby-league.com.
  6. ^ "Kiwis and Junior Kiwis Wider Squads Announced". NZRL.co.nz. 3 September 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2018.
  7. ^ "Experienced Players Return For Kiwis Campaign". NZRL.co.nz. 1 October 2018.
  8. ^ "Paasi withdraws from Tonga squad to join Kiwis". nrl.com. 8 October 2018.
  9. ^ a b c "Kiwis to face England in three-match Series in 2018". Scoop. 23 November 2017. Retrieved 9 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Tweet". Twitter. England Rugby League. 27 October 2018.
  11. ^ "Hicks to Officiate First Test". rugby-league.com. 23 October 2018. Retrieved 23 October 2018.
  12. ^ "Whitehead named man of the match".
  13. ^ a b "Kick-off changes to Autumn International fixtures". rugby-league.com. 7 June 2018. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  14. ^ "England v New Zealand - Fixture amendment". rugby-league.com. 29 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2018.
  15. ^ "Tweet". Twitter. England Rugby League. 4 November 2018.
  16. ^ "Gerard Sutton to officiate second England test". rugby-league.com. 30 October 2018. Retrieved 30 October 2018.
  17. ^ "Hat-trick hero Makinson man of the match".
  18. ^ "Gerard Sutton to referee final test at Elland Road". rugby-league.com. 6 November 2018. Retrieved 11 November 2018.