Kangaroos edge Kiwis for record-equalling 16th straight win

Saturday, 3 May 2014 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Reuters: Australia were given a huge first-half scare by a weakened New Zealand side but fought back to equal the record for consecutive rugby league test wins with a 30-18 victory at Sydney Football Stadium on Friday.

Second-half tries for the world champions from winger Brett Morris - his second of the match - centre Greg Inglis and halfback Cooper Cronk overhauled a 18-12 halftime deficit and doused Kiwi hopes of what would have been an astonishing upset. A 16th successive victory allowed the Kangaroos to match the feat of their 1979-83 predecessors in the green and gold, who included the “Invincibles” team which won five tests and all 22 matches on their 1982 tour of Britain and France. New Zealand were the last team to beat Australia in 2010 and the only country to have challenged Australia’s long dominance of international rugby league, most notably when they won the 2008 World Cup. On Friday, however, they were 7-1 underdogs with the bookmakers after selecting a youthful team without the likes of Sonny Bill Williams against the majority of the Australia side that won back the World Cup in ruthless fashion last year.