Maori pip England to Churchill Cup

English tourists fall to New Zealanders in Canada

A long-range try in the final minute of extra time sealed a first-ever Churchill Cup win for the New Zealand Maori, who saw of England in the Final with a 26-19 victory.

Had the Maori not scored they would have won based on tries scored in the game, but the stamp of the try was a pleasing end to a long day of rugby in Edmonton's Commonwealth Stadium.

With the scores tied 19-19 in the 99th minute of play, Caleb Ralph streaked to the five-metre line popping up to Hosea Gear - who then crossed untouched for the winner.

Before that, in the first period of extra time, New Zealand's Glen Jackson failed to land a drop-goal from 30 metres out. He was then rewarded for an English hand in the ruck, giving him a 39-metre kick from the touchline for the lead - but his effort drifted to the left, and the deadlock dragged on.

England fly-half Dave Walder - in for the injured Alex King - also missed a drop-goal and then a penalty in extra time.

Jackson could have saved the Maori from extra time in the 84th minute of regular time, but he missed a penalty, and opened the door to England.

Indeed, it was England who had all the early play, and got the scoreboard ticking over with a Walder penalty in the fifth minute, but Ryan Nichols responded two minutes later with a try from 20 metres out - Jackson failed to convert and the Maori had a tenuous two point lead 5-3.

Newcastle Falcons centre Jamie Noon got the English back into the lead after getting a pass from Henry Paul who release him from 25 metres out. Walder added the conversion and England had the lead at 10-5 after fifteen minutes.

Maori skipper Corey Flynn then put his side into arrears with a sin-binning for killing the ball as England were threatening to attack. Walder added his second penalty from the offense to increase the English lead to 13-5.

Walder hit his third penalty of the game to extend the England lead to 16-5 after thirty four minutes.

New Zealand were showing promise on limited possession, but had no answers for the waves of English movement with ball in hand - and Walder added his fourth penalty to give his side a 19-5 lead at the break. 

The Maori cracked the try-line for the first time in the second half when Ralph stayed out on the far left and collected a miss-two that allowed the speedster to go over with a clean pair of heels. With the conversion the Maori were back in it - adrift by only 19-12 after 49 minutes.

Two minutes later it was an interception by Jackson - which he converted himself - that set by the 19-19 tie that the Maori managed to break at a death.

Man of the Match: Former All Black wing Caleb Ralph for the Maori was impressive on his second half try, and it was his tireless efforts in the overtime period that finally broke the English defense to put Hosea Gear away for the eventual winner.

Moment of the Match: Again, involving Ralph, when the inventive winger streaked for some forty metres to set up the Gear try - ending a 99-minute classic of a game between England and the Maori.

Villain of the Match: None of note in a relatively clean match - though the finger could be pointed at Maori captain Corey Flynn for his sin-binning  (killing the ball) in the first half - putting his team under stress early on.

The scorers:

For New Zealand:
Tries: Nicholas, Ralph, Jackson, Gear
Cons: Jackson 2

For England:
Try: Noon
Con: Walder
Pens: Walder 4

By Doug Crosse

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