2008 Anzac Test

2008 (2008) Bundaberg Rum Centenary Test ()
2008 Bundaberg Rum Centenary Test
28	12
Date	9 May 2008
Stadium	Sydney Cricket Ground
Location	Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Man of the Match	Cameron Smith
Referee	Ashley Klein
Attendance	34,571
Broadcast partners
Broadcasters	Nine Network (AUS) ; Sky Sport (NZ);
Commentators	Ray Warren; Phil Gould; Peter Sterling;
	Anzac Test ← 2007 2009 →

The 2008 ANZAC test, also known as the Centenary Test as it commemorated the 100th anniversary of the first test match between the two countries, was a rugby league test match played between Australia and New Zealand at the Sydney Cricket Ground on 9 May 2008.^[1] Commemorating the first trans-Tasman Test match, which was also played at Sydney on the same day in 1908, it was the 9th Anzac test played between the two nations since the first was played under the Super League banner in 1997. This was the first test played at the SCG since Australia had defeated New Zealand 29-12 in 1986 and the first ever rugby league test played under lights at the ground.^[2]

For the game, the Kangaroos played in replica jumpers that were used until the first Green and Gold jumpers appeared in 1928. On this night the Kangaroos jumpers were Sky Blue and Maroon hoops depicting the states of New South Wales and Queensland. It was the first time the Kangaroos had worn their alternate test jumpers in a test match since their two test series against South Africa in 1963.^[3]^[4]

This was the 112th test between Australia and New Zealand since 1908.

Teams edit

Australia	Position	New Zealand
Billy Slater	Fullback	Brent Webb
Greg Inglis	Wing	Jason Nightingale
Mark Gasnier	Centre	Setaimata Sa
Justin Hodges	Centre	Iosia Soliola
Israel Folau	Wing	Sam Perrett
Greg Bird	Five-eighth	Lance Hohaia
Johnathan Thurston	Halfback	Thomas Leuluai
Brent Kite	Prop	Roy Asotasi (c)
Cameron Smith (c)	Hooker	Issac Luke
Petero Civoniceva	Prop	Nathan Cayless
Paul Gallen	2nd Row	Sonny Bill Williams
Ryan Hoffman	2nd Row	Simon Mannering
Michael Crocker	Lock	David Fa'alogo

Kurt Gidley	Interchange	Jeremy Smith
Willie Mason	Interchange	Dene Halatau
Anthony Tupou	Interchange	Adam Blair
Carl Webb	Interchange	Frank Pritchard

Ricky Stuart	Coach	Stephen Kearney

Match summary edit

Prior to the match, a minutes silence was observed in memory of the Australian Rugby League's Team of the Century coach Jack Gibson who had died only an hour before the game. Gibson's death was announced during the television broadcast by Channel 9's Peter Sterling who had won three NSWRL premierships for Parramatta under Gibson in 1981, 1982 and 1983.

The living members of the ARL's Team of the Century – Reg Gasnier (CE), Mal Meninga (CE), Wally Lewis (FE), Andrew Johns (HB), Arthur Beetson (PR), Noel Kelly (HK), Duncan Hall (PR), Norm Provan (SR), Ron Coote (SR), Johnny Raper (LK), Graeme Langlands (Res) and Bob Fulton (Res) – were paraded to the crowd before the game as part of the Centenary celebrations. Members of the team who had died (Clive Churchill (FB), Brian Bevan (WG), Ken Irvine (WG), Dally Messenger (Res) and Frank Burge (Res)) were represented by family members.

9 May 2008
8:00pm (AEST)

Australia	28 – 12	New Zealand
Tries: Mark Gasnier (6', 14') 2 Paul Gallen (18') 1 Cameron Smith (22') 1 Israel Folau (64') 1 Goals: Johnathan Thurston 4/5 (8', 19', 23', 66')	1st: 22 - 0 2nd: 6 - 12 Report	Tries: Iosia Soliola (43') 1 Sam Perrett (80') 1 Goals: Jeremy Smith 1/1 (44') Issac Luke 1/1 (80')