Jarryd Hayne’s hit gives hope for international league.
November 17th 2008 07:27
Fiji embraced before, and after their 52 point loss against Australia with the emphasise on just one thing - hope.
Hope for perhaps a solid showing against the world champions. Hope for an upset of the highest order.
This was prior to the match against the Kangaroos mind you.
Nine minutes in and Fiji found themselves 16 nil down thanks to two tries by Brent Tate and one to Billy Slater.
All hope was lost. In the blink of an eye, the Kangaroos had already torn Fiji apart faster than their two pasters could signal the holy cross with their hands.
All prayer came to nothing as Australia booked itself a grand final spot against New Zealand next week at Suncorp stadium in just fifteen minutes.
Fiji on the other hand were now left to hope for something else.
After twenty or so minutes of the first half, 'the Bati' were praying that their semi-final appearance against the Australians would not yield a record breaking loss - because judging from the form of Kangaroos stars Lockyer, Thurston and Slater, they were eager to re-write the history books.
Thankfully for the Fijians, their faith was at last rewarded.
Fiji started gaining more possession of the football in a first half that was already over as a contest. Indeed Eels star Jarryd Hayne got involved, providing a slick pass to captain Wes Naiqama to send him on a run down field.
Now this was drama. Naiqama was in the clear and only had Slater opposing him. What next?
Naiqama grubbered the ball cross field into the waiting hands of Johnathon Thurston, despite a massive appeal (and rightfully so) regarding an obvious knock on from Karmichael Hunt.
When Fiji should have had the gods smiling down on them, they cursed 'the Bati' with a decision that would allow Australia to post more points heading into the break.
Slater scored his second try soon enough and the Kangaroos were home and hosed. Still with forty minutes of football left to play.
Although Australia had the right to do as the pleased in the second half, Fiji fullback Hayne was eager to give the Kiwis the upper hand next week.
After Brent Tate damaged his hip, with a little help from Fiji's gods, Hayne took it upon himself to teach some of his former aussie team-mates the meaning of pain.
Australian captain Darren Lockyer was the first to learn of Hayne's new teaching methods, with a thunderous shoulder charge that forced the ball loose and rattled the 43 test veteran.
But Hayne wasn't finished.
He wanted to take aim at another devout Christian by the name of Israel Folau - the 100 kilo winger who now has the right to build his own church and say ' hey, believe in god and at 18 years of age, you will win an NRL grand final, play Origin and test football in just your first year in first grade.'
Hayne had other ideas. And Folau started feeling the differences between the two and was ruffled. For one moment, Folau was ANGRY would you believe it.
It was the special moment in an otherwise predictable test match that saw the Kangaroos pile on a half century score half assed.
But when Hayne confronted Lockyer and Folau, it seemed if, for just one second, that test rugby league had meaning.
Two of league’s greatest ever players were defied by a Parramatta winger who simply didn’t give a damn about reputation or how far behind his side was on the scoreboard.
And good on him.
Hayne has done his part. Its up to the Kiwis to carry on his work, as unholy or as unfaithful as it might be. Because this is reality and its the only way the Kangaroos can be ruffled.
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