International Test match, Denver, USA England (10) 36 Tries: Hall, Whitehead 2, Connor, Makinson, Bateman Goals: Widdop 6 New Zealand (12) 18 Tries: Marsters, Watene-Zelezniak 2 Goals: Isaako 3 England came from behind to ease past New Zealand in a Test match that was played in Denver, Colorado. It was England's first match since the 2017 World Cup final loss to Australia. Esan Marsters and Dallin Watene-Zelezniak gave the Kiwis a 12-0 lead before Ryan Hall's brilliant try cut the deficit. Elliott Whitehead scored twice and debutants Jake Connor and Tommy Makinson both went over before John Bateman completed a resounding victory. England impress on American adventure England had more of the possession and completed an impressive 82% of their sets England were playing in the USA for the first time since 2000 as they aim to raise the sport's profile in North America, which is hosting the 2025 Rugby League World Cup. The 76,125-capacity Mile High Stadium had large banks of empty seats, but the 19,320 fans who were there became excitable each time the two sides came close to the try-line. The match, played 5,000ft above sea level, provided a stern test and the difficult conditions were immediately evident as the ball sailed a number of metres out of play straight from kick-off. New Zealand opened the lead through Marsters, one of seven debutants in the Kiwi side, following Kodi Nikorima's clever break. Isaac Luke then ripped through the defence before laying on full-back Watene-Zelezniak, who also added a consolation late on. England responded impressively with 32 unanswered points, starting with Hall's acrobatic effort from Connor's pass, although it looked like the Leeds Rhinos winger had dropped the ball while finishing. Whitehead burrowed over each side of half-time and Widdop added a 50m penalty, while Hull's Connor and St Helens' Makinson both capped their first England match by touching down in the second period. 'Very physical' game - what they said England captain Sean O'Loughlin: "The heat took its toll a little bit but the altitude was probably the biggest thing. Both sides felt it and it made the game scrappy at times but you just get through it. "We've had a good week and hopefully put on a great game for everyone to see and, most importantly, got the win which is what we came here to do. "They had a good start but we fought back and showed some guts. The atmosphere about the place was brilliant, it might not have been full but the crowd was right on top of you and you could feel there was a good atmosphere." England's Sam Burgess: "I know there have been critics but I thought both teams played with passion and heart and effort and that's what Test match football is all about. "The game was physical and it got fiery. The Kiwis have got a point to prove but I thought it was a great game of football." New Zealand coach Michael Maguire: "The boys really controlled the game in the first 20. Unfortunately at the back end of the first half our completion rates dropped, which increased the missed tackles and the pressure on us just became strong. "But credit to the young guys who showed me we've got some really good depth, they really impressed me and gave me something to work with." Analysis - 'The best team won' Bradford Bulls head coach John Kear on BBC Two: "[It was] a fantastic night's entertainment and very satisfying for England. New Zealand are edging their way back up as well and their coach Michael Maguire will take many positives from that. "The best team won by that scoreline because of the performance levels and some really good individual efforts as well as collective from the men in white." St Helens forward Jon Wilkin: "England grew into the game and the ball control was excellent. They were relatively flawless and I do not think they made an error in the second half. That gave them all the possession and took all the Kiwis' strengths away. "New Zealand looked dangerous at the start of the game when they were fresh, but once England weathered that storm, they were by far the better side. They created chances but, more importantly at international level, they took their chances too." What next? New Zealand head to England for a three-match series at the end of the Super League season: Saturday, 27 October, 14:30 BST - KCOM Stadium, Hull. Saturday, 3 November, 17:30 GMT - Anfield, Liverpool. Sunday, 11 November, 15:15 GMT - Elland Road, Leeds. All those games will be live on BBC TV, radio and online.<doc-sep>The Kiwis have fallen short in their first match under Michael Maguire, losing 36-18 to England in Denver. New Zealand started positively, leading 12-0 inside the first 30 minutes, but the English roared to life, scoring 32 unanswered points. Ryan Hall and Elliott Whitehead both scored before halftime to cut the Kiwis lead to just two points. With both sides tiring in the dry heat, Wayne Bennett's England side put their foot on the gas in the second half. Whitehead scored his second, debutants Jake Connor and Tommy Makinson both went over, before John Bateman completed a resounding victory. For New Zealand, Esan Marsters, - one of seven debutants in the Kiwi side - impressed in his first match, making plenty of breaks and scoring a try in the process, while Dallin Watene-Zelezniak dotted down twice. But before all that, the big talking point was about how American singer Crystal Collins completely messed up the New Zealand anthem - both the Māori and English versions. Maguire will now try to tempt many absent stars, including Warriors trio Shaun Johnson, Tohu Harris and Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, back into the fold for the tour to England and France in October and November. Newshub.<doc-sep>England fought back from 12-0 down to beat New Zealand 36-18 in their groundbreaking Test match in Denver, Colorado. An encouraging crowd of 19,320 at Mile High Stadium witnessed an impressive fightback from Wayne Bennett’s men, who looked way off the pace in energy-sapping conditions during the opening quarter but finished the game in total control. Second rower Elliott Whitehead scored two of his side’s six tries while outside backs Jake Connor and Tommy Makinson also got on the scoresheet on debut as the new-look Kiwis were played off the park in the second half. Stalwarts James Graham, on his record-extending 40th appearance, James Roby, Gareth Widdop and Sam Burgess all came to the fore but it was the introduction of four substitutes from the bench that turned the game on its head. New Zealand had seven new faces in the starting line-up for their first game under Michael Maguire as they began a rebuilding process following a dreadful World Cup. They could hardly have made a better start. While England looked lethargic in the opening quarter, the Kiwis were full of energy and caused a host of problems for their opponents with their dangerous offload game. Stand-off Kodi Nikorima shrugged off the attempted tackle of Jonny Lomax who appeared to be still feeling the effects of a late hit from Martin Tapau, to get centre Esan Marsters over for the game’s first try. Marsters was a handful on his debut and came up with two clean breaks that ought to have produced more tries as England struggled to stay in the game, although the Burgess brothers, under the watchful eye of Hollywood actor and South Sydney owner Russell Crowe, threatened to launch the comeback on their own. Sam was held up over the line and brother Tom was unfortunate to have a try disallowed before England fell further behind as Issac Luke got full-back Dallin Watene-Zelezniak over for their second score. Jamayne Isaako added both conversions to make it 12-0 but the introduction of substitutes Connor and Scott Taylor introduced much-needed impetus for England, with the latter coming up with two try-scoring passes to get them back into the contest. Hall produced a trademark acrobatic finish to claim his 35th try eight minutes from the break, with Widdop adding the goal, and second rower Whitehead went through a gap for the second four minutes later. Widdop was wide with his second conversion attempt but brought the scores level five minutes into the second half with a penalty, awarded for a cynical foul on John Bateman by Luke, who was fortunate not to be sin-binned for treading on the Wigan player’s hand. England hit the front for the first time seven minutes later when Makinson gathered Widdop’s inch-perfect kick and got Whitehead over for his second try. Widdop kicked his second conversion and added a second penalty, this time from halfway, after the Kiwis again kicked out on the full. The fightback was complete on the hour when Connor used his strength to make the initial break and then showed his confidence with an outrageous dummy to go over for an individual try. As the Kiwis began to suffer the effects of playing at high altitude in 30 degree Celsius temperatures, Whitehead went 70 metres before sending Makinson over and Watene-Zelezniak went in for his second, before Bateman added England’s sixth try just before the end. “It’s a great victory, in unbelievably tough conditions,” said England’s captain Sean O’Loughlin afterwards. “It was the hottest day since we’ve been here and the heat took its toll a little bit but the altitude was probably the biggest thing. Both sides felt it and it made the game scrappy at times.” “We’ve had a good week and hopefully put on a great game for everyone to see and, most importantly, got the win which is what we came here to do. The atmosphere about the place was brilliant, it might not have been full but the crowd was right on top of you and you could feel there was a good atmosphere.” Sam Burgess, one of the NRL-based players who fought to get the game on in Colorado, dubbed it a success. “The first 20 minutes was as fatigued as I’ve ever been in a game but it’s been a great week and it’s been successful,” he said. “I know there have been critics but I thought both teams played with passion and heart and effort. It was great for us to be here and another good chance for us to play together again as a team.”<doc-sep>OPINION: International rugby league - and the Kiwis in particular - have been an easy target over the past few months. And rightfully so, after the trainwreck that was New Zealand's World Cup campaign. But the hate that's been directed at the Denver test has been over the top. This test is a good idea. The Aussies decided they don't want to play mid-season tests anymore, so bye-bye Anzac Test. The options for New Zealand Rugby League (NZRL) were simple - find another opponent or only play at the end of the year. A representative weekend was set up to allow other nations to play and for State of Origin to get a Sunday spot in the calendar. Can you imagine the reaction if everyone else played this weekend, but NOT the Kiwis? Let's deal with the obvious - absolutely a test against Tonga, Samoa or Fiji would be fantastic and preferable. But for that to happen, NZRL would essentially have to fund the event. Given the current mood around the national team, would you be prepared to bankroll a match in New Zealand and need to rely on a big crowd just to break even? We're talking about the cost of hiring a venue, paying for the teams and support staff, covering insurance for NRL teams to release their players, promotion and advertising, accommodation… Honesty check - outside of the rugby league purists, who would be excited about attending a game between the rebuilding Kiwis and England on our shores? People struggled to show up to watch the New Zealanders at the World Cup last year - just over 11,000 attended the shock quarterfinal loss to Fiji. Sport is a business and this is a business decision. This weekend's Denver test is being funded by Moore Sports, who are also bringing the 2025 Rugby League World Cup to the United States. Anyone who gives a toss about rugby league should want that tournament to be a success. What are the odds of it going well if 14 teams just rock up there in seven years, without exposing the American audience to the sport? Yeah, nah. I don't expect the United States to suddenly embrace league as its new national past-time, but I also think the 13-man code has a better chance than rugby union. The rules are easier to understand, the comparisons to American football are closer and it's a more collision-based sport than union. The Kiwis get the chance to be at the forefront, and with things like the haka and the fact they're not England, there's a chance to build a bit of a following in years to come. Critics love to rip rugby league (again, with good reason) for not having enough international reach and credibility.<doc-sep>
Sport is a business and this is a business decision. This weekend's Denver test is being funded by Moore Sports, who are also bringing the 2025 Rugby League World Cup to the United States. Anyone who gives a toss about rugby league should want that tournament to be a success. What are the odds of it going well if 14 teams just rock up there in seven years, without exposing the American audience to the sport? Yeah, nah. I don't expect the United States to suddenly embrace league as its new national past-time, but I also think the 13-man code has a better chance than rugby union. The rules are easier to understand, the comparisons to American football are closer and it's a more collision-based sport than union. The Kiwis get the chance to be at the forefront, and with things like the haka and the fact they're not England, there's a chance to build a bit of a following in years to come. Critics love to rip rugby league (again, with good reason) for not having enough international reach and credibility. So what happens when the sport tries to improve both? It gets slammed for trying. Hopefully, the Kiwis will have a stronger line-up to choose from in October, when they're set to host Australia on home soil. That is a rare occurrence and I know which test I'd rather NZRL ensured was played in front of a Kiwi audience. Another reason it's a good thing? NRL clubs flexed their muscle and didn't get their way. This is a step towards maturity for the sport. There was a genuine chance the test would be called off, as franchises bristled at the idea of releasing their players. We still have players like Shaun Johnson and Gerard Beale being withdrawn from consideration by the Warriors, with the likes of Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Tohu Harris making themselves unavailable. But in general, the clubs have conceded to allow their players to go. This is a big step forward. Teams that aren't Australia have been hamstrung time and time again as clubs come up with factitious injuries or excuses to hold players back from representing their country. State of Origin is a much bigger risk to player welfare - some players backing up to play within 48 hours. New South Wales and Queensland players miss more football than anyone involved in Sunday's American expedition will, yet we hear coaches going to great lengths to talk up their players' selection chances for that arena. If you have a problem with the Denver game, you better be as vehemently vocal about the next time the All Blacks play games that don't involve the host nation in the US or Japan. Where's the furore about the ABs playing the Wallabies in Yokohama in October? The Kiwis have a new coach, plenty of new players, and the chance to rebuild their style and culture. Getting the chance to do that first-up away from the national spotlight isn't a terrible thing either. There is one clear and present way to make sure there are more tests played in New Zealand in the future - show up, put your backside on a seat and show you're prepared to put your money where your mouth is. That's the one action that never gets ignored. Newshub.