The Kiwis started their Rugby League World Cup campaign with a 34-12 victory over a competitive Lebanon team in Warrington.
Joey Manu
Photo: PHOTOSPORT
Josh Mansour’s try after 59 seconds put Lebanon ahead and, trailing 18-12 in the second half, they sensed a shock against the top ranked side.
But full-back Joey Manu showed his class to end the contest, setting up Dylan Brown after a line break before scoring himself with a solo effort.
Lebanon ended with 12 men after Adam Doueihi was sent off for foul language.
New Zealand, world champions in 2008, are hoping to improve on a disappointing 2017 tournament in which they lost to Tonga in the group stage and then were knocked out by Fiji in the last eight.
Lebanon provided a sturdy opening test for Michael Maguire’s team, who next play debutants Jamaica in Hull next weekend.
The Cedars play Ireland, in what is likely to be a straight shootout for the second qualification spot from Group C.
Kenny Bromwich, Nelson Asofa-Solomona and Peta Hiku crossed for New Zealand before half-time, replying to the opener from Lebanon winger Mansour, who was in Australia’s World Cup-winning squad five years ago.
Doueihi’s 40-20 kick laid the platform for a second Lebanon score from Wigan’s Abbas Miski, but any chance of a shock was extinguished by Manu’s brilliance.
Jordan Rapana, who also kicked five goals for the Kiwis, completed the scoring with New Zealand’s sixth try.
Led by Australian Michael Cheika, who has Lebanese ancestry and is also in charge of Argentina’s rugby union team, Lebanon showed enough to suggest they could repeat their run to the quarter-finals in 2017.
They defended stoutly and showed their inventive side by taking a number of short kick-offs and restarts, but were unable to withstand New Zealand’s pressure during a blistering five-minute spell midway through the second period.
Ireland beat Jamaica 48-2 in the other game in the pool today.
-BBC
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