Rugby league: Australia looked like they were enjoying the off-season, but Kiwi were pumped

Mt Smart stadium was poorly attended for the men’s and women’s Tests, but the games were intriguing encountersThe month of October is something of an otherworld for Australian sport. The AFL and NRL are in hiatus, cricket is not yet in full flow, and rugby Tests are played in faraway lands with terrible time zones. The A-League, netball and basketball do their best as varsity rowers belt along Sydney Harbour like Cambridge and Oxford on the Thames. And while AFL fans will tell you there’s nothing on, there’s quite a lot on.Test match rugby league is on, men’s and women’s, Australia and New Zealand, and Saturday night’s fixtures at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland – though poorly attended - proved a boon for the sport. Both Tests finished 26-24 and arrived at denouement in different, thrilling ways. Related: Rugby league: New Zealand end Australia's winning streak Related: The story of the one-armed man who won an NRL grand final Continue readingread full article

Source: TheGuardian

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