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Kiwis Coach Confident After Lebanon Win
Kiwis coach Michael Maguire believes his side will continue improving after their 34-12 World Cup win over Lebanon.
New Zealand were far from their best in front of 5,000 fans at the Halliwell Jones Stadium and a Lebanon side, utilising their NRL players as much as possible, produced a spirited performance.
“They showed their passion and how they wanted to play,” Maguire said.
“They defended their line really well too, which gives us a lot of stuff we can look at, moving forward in how we want to play.
“We put a bit of pressure on at times, we were able to capitalise, but we didn’t stay at it long enough to be able to put more points on.”
The Kiwis have yet to get into full flow in this World Cup but that is true of many teams after a lack of action over the last two years and the short build-up to this tournament.
Jamaica and Ireland will pose little threat in the upcoming games, and this is where Maguire will look to strengthen combinations before taking on Fiji or Italy in the quarter-finals.
“That was the biggest thing I saw there,” Maguire said of combinations.
“Guys were jumping in, trying to take carries when normally we wouldn’t and that’s time spent together.
“With all the grand final guys coming back and Joey Manu coming back for the first time with the team, Joey was trying that hard and sometimes that can play against you, when you’re trying to put certain plans on and we’ll be better for that.”
/Stewart Sports news editor
