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DUFFIE CONFIRMED TO MAKE TEST DEBUT ON FRIDAY NIGHT

Melbourne winger Matthew Duffie will be the only debutant in the Kiwis' line-up for Friday night's Anzac Test against the Kangaroos at Skilled Park in Robina.

In confirming New Zealand's side this morning, coach Stephen Kearney omitted Vodafone Warriors utility Lewis Brown and Brisbane fullback Gerard Beale from the original 19-man squad named on Sunday night. Brown is the 18th man.

Duffie will become Kiwi number 765 on Friday night, lining up on the right wing outside Sydney Roosters centre Shaun Kenny-Dowall, New Zealand's 2010 player of the year.

Vodafone Warriors captain Simon Mannering is also in the centres, where he has been playing recently in the NRL. He also lined up in the centres for the Kiwis in the 2008 World Cup win as well as the Four Nations victory last year.

Vodafone Warriors prop Sam Rapira, who was unavailable for the Four Nations campaign last year, returns to start in the front row after last playing for the Kiwis in the 2010 Anzac Test in Melbourne. Penrith's Sam Kendry is the other starting prop, as he was in the Four Nations final, while St George Illawarra's Nathan Fien runs on at hooker after being halfback in the Four Nations.

The experienced Adam Blair (Melbourne), Bronson Harrison (Canberra) and Jeremy Smith (Cronulla) will start in the back row. The side includes 13 of the 17 players used in the Four Nations final. Apart from Duffie and Rapira, the other two changes are recalled Parramatta prop Fuifui Moimoi, who'll be playing his ninth Test, and Manly halfback Kieran Foran, back after making his second Test appearance in last year's Anzac Test. Foran and Moimoi were both ruled out of the 2010 Four Nations with injuries.

"We've been able build some consistency in our selections in recent years," said Kearney.

"The side has become more settled and we've also been able to develop a little more in terms of experience and our combinations.

"While we're improving in that area the Australians still lead the way with representative experience and depth. They certainly have an advantage there for a one-off match of this type but our challenge is to try to keep building."

The Kiwis have never won the Anzac Test in Australia since the first was played in Sydney in 1997. Their only success came at North Harbour Stadium in 1998, the only time it has been played in New Zealand.

The Kiwis have another training run this morning before their final session at Skilled Park tomorrow morning.

England's Richard Silverwood has been named as Friday night's referee. 

ANZAC TEST 
KANGAROOS v KIWIS 

Skilled Park, Robina

8.00pm, Friday, May 6, 2011

Referee: Richard Silverwood (England)

  KIWIS                  

1

LANCE HOHAIA (Vodafone Warriors)

2

MATTHEW DUFFIE (Melbourne)

3

SIMON MANNERING (Vodafone Warriors)

4

SHAUN KENNY-DOWALL (Sydney Roosters)

5

JASON NIGHTINGALE (St George Illawarra)

6

BENJI MARSHALL (c) (Wests Tigers)

7

KIERAN FORAN (Manly)

8

SAM RAPIRA (Vodafone Warriors)

9

NATHAN FIEN (St George Illawarra)

10

SAM McKENDRY (Penrith)

11

ADAM BLAIR (Melbourne)

12

BRONSON HARRISON (Canberra)

13

JEREMY SMITH (Cronulla)

 

Interchange:

14

ISSAC LUKE (South Sydney)

15

BEN MATULINO (Vodafone Warriors)

16

FUIFUI MOIMOI (Parramatta)

17

GREG EASTWOOD (Canterbury-Bankstown)

18

LEWIS BROWN (Vodafone Warriors)

 COACH: STEPHEN KEARNEY 

KIWI SQUAD - 2011 ANZAC TEST 

Player

Club

Kiwi No

Tests

Points

 

 

 

 

 

Gerard Beale

Broncos

-

0

0

Adam Blair

Storm

732

21

8

Lewis Brown

Warriors

762

0

0

Shaun Kenny-Dowall

Roosters

746

6

24

Matthew Duffie

Storm

765

0

0

Greg Eastwood

Bulldogs

737

17

8

Nathan Fien

Dragons

733

18

16

Kieran Foran

Sea Eagles

757

2

0

Bronson Harrison

Raiders

723

12

4

Lance Hohaia

Warriors

695

27

60

Issac Luke

Rabbitohs

749

16

38

Sam McKendry

Panthers

763

2

0

Simon Mannering

Warriors

731

24

16

Benji Marshall (c)

Tigers

717

20

86

Ben Matulino

Warriors

756

7

4

Fuifui Moimoi

Eels

741

8

0

Jason Nightingale

Dragons

747

10

32

Sam Rapira

Warriors

736

12

0

Jeremy Smith

Sharks

742

17

26