2004 Rugby League Tri-Nations

2004 (2004) Tri-Nations  ()
Number of teams	3
Host country	United Kingdom
Winner	Australia (2nd title)
Matches played	7
Attendance	182,288 (26,041 per match)
Tries scored	47 (6.71 per match)
Top scorer	Darren Lockyer[1] (28)
Top try scorer	Luke Rooney[1] (6)
Tournaments  < 1999 2005 >

The second Rugby League Tri-Nations tournament (known as the Gillette Tri-Nations due to sponsorship^[2]) was contested between 16 October and 27 November of 2004. The format of the competition differed from the previous event in that the teams played each other twice, rather than once, prior to the final.

The tournament final of the tournament was predicted by some to be a close affair, with the British team heralded as slight favourites after finishing at the top of the league table. Instead, it was a one-sided match as Australia produced their best performance of the tournament. The game was effectively over by half-time when Australia led by 38-0.

Participating teams

Each team was to play the other three twice during the round robin tournament. The top two finishing teams would then contest the final.

Team	Nickname	Coach	Captain	RLIF Rank
Australia	The Kangaroos	Wayne Bennett	Darren Lockyer	1
New Zealand	The Kiwis	Daniel Anderson	Ruben Wiki	2
Great Britain	The Lions	Brian Noble	Andy Farrell	3

Officials

One referee from each participating nation was appointed to control matches in the Tri-Nations:

• Tim Mander (2 matches)
• Russell Smith (3 matches)
• Glen Black (2 matches)

Venues

The games were played at the following venues in New Zealand and England. The tournament final was played in Leeds.

Leeds	Auckland	London	Manchester
Elland Road	North Harbour Stadium	Loftus Road	City of Manchester Stadium
Capacity: 37,890	Capacity: 25,000	Capacity: 18,439	Capacity: 47,726
Huddersfield	Wigan	Hull
Galpharm Stadium	JJB Stadium	KC Stadium
Capacity: 24,500	Capacity: 25,138	Capacity: 25,400

Results

Tournament matches

Saturday, 16 October

New Zealand	16–16	Australia
Tries: V Anderson L Anderson Meli Goals: Webb 2/3	Report	Tries: Rooney (2) Minichiello Goals: Lockyer 2/3

North Harbour Stadium, Auckland Attendance: 19,118[1] Referee: Russel Smith

NEW ZEALAND
1. Brent Webb · 2. Francis Meli · 3. Nigel Vagana · 4. Paul Whatuira · 5. Matt Utai · 6. Vinnie Anderson · 7. Thomas Leuluai · 8. Jason Cayless · 9. Louis Anderson · 10. Ruben Wiki (c) · 11. Tony Puletua · 12. Joe Galuvao · 13. Sonny Bill Williams
Interchange: 14. Motu Tony · 15. Roy Asotasi · 16. Nathan Cayless · 17. David Kidwell
Coach: Daniel Anderson

AUSTRALIA
1. Anthony Minichiello · 2. Luke Rooney · 3. Shaun Berrigan · 4. Willie Tonga · 5. Matt Sing · 6. Darren Lockyer (c) · 7. Craig Gower · 8. Shane Webcke · 9. Danny Buderus · 10. Jason Ryles · 11. Willie Mason · 12. Nathan Hindmarsh · 13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange: 14. Craig Wing · 15. Petero Civoniceva · 16. Ben Kennedy · 17. Andrew Ryan
Coach: Wayne Bennett

Saturday, 23 October

Australia	32–12	New Zealand
Tries: Rooney Lockyer Tonga Berrigan Civoniceva Goals: Fitzgibbon 3/4 Lockyer 2/2 Berrigan 1/1	Report	Tries: Webb Vainikolo V Anderson Goals: Webb 0/3

Loftus Road, London Attendance: 16,725[1] Referee: Russel Smith

AUSTRALIA
1. Anthony Minichiello · 2. Luke Rooney · 3. Shaun Berrigan · 4. Willie Tonga · 5. Matt Sing · 6. Darren Lockyer (c) · 7. Craig Gower · 8. Shane Webcke · 9. Danny Buderus · 10. Jason Ryles · 11. Craig Fitzgibbon · 12. Nathan Hindmarsh · 13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange: 14. Craig Wing · 15. Petero Civoniceva · 16. Willie Mason · 17. Shaun Timmins
Coach: Wayne Bennett

NEW ZEALAND
1. Brent Webb · 2. Francis Meli · 3. Nigel Vagana · 4. Paul Whatuira · 5. Lesley Vainikolo · 6. Vinnie Anderson · 7. Thomas Leuluai · 8. Jason Cayless · 9. Louis Anderson · 10. Nathan Cayless · 11. Logan Swann · 12. Ruben Wiki (c) · 13. Sonny Bill Williams
Interchange: 14. Robbie Paul · 15. Roy Asotasi · 16. Paul Rauhihi · 17. David Kidwell
Coach: Daniel Anderson

Saturday, 30 October

Australia	12–8	Great Britain
Tries: Mason Rooney (2) Goals: Kimmorley 0/3	Report	Tries: Gleeson Carney Goals: Farrell 0/2

City of Manchester Stadium, Manchester Attendance: 38,572[1] Referee: Glen Black

AUSTRALIA
1. Anthony Minichiello · 2. Luke Rooney · 3. Shaun Berrigan · 4. Willie Tonga · 5. Matt Sing · 6. Craig Gower · 7. Brett Kimmorley · 8. Shane Webcke · 9. Danny Buderus (c) · 10. Jason Ryles · 11. Andrew Ryan · 12. Nathan Hindmarsh · 13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange: 14. Craig Wing · 15. Petero Civoniceva · 16. Willie Mason · 17. Shaun Timmins
Coach: Wayne Bennett

GREAT BRITAIN
1. Paul Wellens · 2. Brian Carney · 3. Martin Gleeson · 4. Keith Senior · 5. Stuart Reardon · 6. Paul Sculthorpe · 7. Sean Long · 8. Stuart Fielden · 9. Terry Newton · 10. Adrian Morley · 11. Jamie Peacock · 12. Andy Farrell (c) · 13. Gareth Ellis
Interchange: 14. Chev Walker · 15. Stephen Wild · 16. Ryan Bailey · 17. Danny McGuire
Coach: Brian Noble

Saturday, 6 November

Great Britain	22–12	New Zealand
Tries: Newton Reardon (2) Goals: Farrell 2/2 Harris 2/2 Sculthorpe 1/3	Report	Tries: Lauitiiti Williams Goals: Webb 2/2

Galpharm Stadium, Huddersfield Attendance: 20,372[1] Referee: Tim Mander

GREAT BRITAIN
1. Paul Wellens · 2. Brian Carney · 3. Martin Gleeson · 4. Keith Senior · 5. Stuart Reardon · 6. Danny McGuire · 7. Sean Long · 8. Stuart Fielden · 9. Terry Newton · 10. Adrian Morley · 11. Jamie Peacock · 12. Andy Farrell (c) · 13. Paul Sculthorpe
Interchange: 14. Gareth Ellis · 15. Ryan Bailey · 16. Paul Johnson · 17. Iestyn Harris
Coach: Brian Noble

NEW ZEALAND
1. Brent Webb · 2. Francis Meli · 3. Nigel Vagana · 4. Clinton Toopi · 5. Shontayne Hape · 6. Vinnie Anderson · 7. Thomas Leuluai · 8. Jason Cayless · 9. Louis Anderson · 10. Ruben Wiki (c) · 11. Logan Swann · 12. David Kidwell · 13. Sonny Bill Williams
Interchange: 14. Robbie Paul · 15. Nathan Cayless · 16. Paul Rauhihi · 17. Ali Lauitiiti
Coach: Daniel Anderson

Saturday, 13 November

Great Britain	24–12	Australia
Tries: Newton Reardon Fielden Senior Goals: Farrell 4/4	Report	Tries: Rooney O'Meley Goals: Fitzgibbon 1/1 Kimmorley 1/1

JJB Stadium, Wigan Attendance: 25,004[1] Referee: Glen Black

GREAT BRITAIN
1. Paul Wellens · 2. Brian Carney · 3. Martin Gleeson · 4. Keith Senior · 5. Stuart Reardon · 6. Danny McGuire · 7. Sean Long · 8. Stuart Fielden · 9. Terry Newton · 10. Adrian Morley · 11. Jamie Peacock · 12. Andy Farrell (c) · 13. Paul Sculthorpe
Interchange: 14. Gareth Ellis · 15. Ryan Bailey · 16. Paul Johnson · 17. Iestyn Harris
Coach: Brian Noble

AUSTRALIA
1. Anthony Minichiello · 2. Matt Sing · 3. Shaun Berrigan · 4. Willie Tonga · 5. Luke Rooney · 6. Scott Hill · 7. Brett Kimmorley · 8. Shane Webcke · 9. Danny Buderus (c) · 10. Petero Civoniceva · 11. Craig Fitzgibbon · 12. Nathan Hindmarsh · 13. Tonie Carroll
Interchange: 14. Craig Wing · 15. Andrew Ryan · 16. Willie Mason · 17. Mark O'Meley
Coach: Wayne Bennett

Saturday, 20 November

Great Britain	26–24	New Zealand
Tries: Senior Carney (2) Farrell Johnson Goals: Farrell 3/5	Report	Tries: V Anderson Vagana Chan Hape Goals: Webb 4/5

KC Stadium, Hull Attendance: 23,377 [1] Referee: Tim Mander

GREAT BRITAIN
1. Paul Wellens · 2. Brian Carney · 3. Martin Gleeson · 4. Keith Senior · 5. Stuart Reardon · 6. Iestyn Harris · 7. Danny McGuire · 8. Stuart Fielden · 9. Matt Diskin · 10. Adrian Morley · 11. Gareth Ellis · 12. Andy Farrell (c) · 13. Sean O'Loughlin
Interchange: 14. Mickey Higham · 15. Chev Walker · 16. Paul Johnson · 17. Danny Ward
Coach: Brian Noble

NEW ZEALAND
1. Brent Webb · 2. Francis Meli · 3. Nigel Vagana · 4. Clinton Toopi · 5. Shontayne Hape · 6. Vinnie Anderson · 7. Thomas Leuluai · 8. Jason Cayless · 13. Louis Anderson · 10. Paul Rauhihi (c) · 11. Logan Swann · 12. Ali Lauitiiti · 17. Wairangi Koopu
Interchange: 9. Dene Halatau · 15. Roy Asotasi · 16. Nathan Cayless · 19. Alex Chan
Coach: Daniel Anderson

Tournament standings

Team	Played	Won	Drew	Lost	For	Against	Difference	Points
Great Britain	4	3	0	1	80	60	+20	6
Australia	4	2	1	1	72	60	+12	5
New Zealand	4	0	1	3	64	95	−32	1

Final

Saturday, 27 November

Great Britain	4–44	Australia
1 Try: Stuart Reardon Gaols: Andrew Farrell (0/1)	Report	7 Tries: Matt Sing Anthony Minichiello (2) Willie Tonga (2) Darren Lockyer Willie Mason Gaols: Darren Lockyer (6/6) Craig Fitzgibbon (2/2)

Elland Road, Leeds Attendance: 39,120[3] Referee/s: Russell Smith Man of the Match: Darren Lockyer

Player statistics

Top point scorers Player Team T G FG Pts 1 Darren Lockyer  Australia 2 10 0 28 2 Luke Rooney  Australia 6 0 0 24 3 Andrew Farrell  Great Britain 1 9 0 22 4 Brent Webb  New Zealand 1 8 0 20 5 Stuart Reardon  Great Britain 4 0 0 16

Top try scorers Player Team T 1 Luke Rooney  Australia 6 2 Stuart Reardon  Great Britain 4 3 Anthony Minichiello  Australia 3 Willie Tonga  Australia Brian Carney  Great Britain Vinnie Anderson  New Zealand

Non-series Tests

During the series, Australia and New Zealand both played an additional test match against France.

2004-11-12

France	20–24	New Zealand

Stade d'Albert Domec, Carcassonne Attendance: 8000

2004-11-21

France	30–52	Australia

Stade Ernest Wellon, Toulouse Attendance: 10,000

Additional Matches

A one off match was also played between an ANZAC side made up of touring Australian and New Zealand players and a Cumbria side.^[4][5][6]

2004-10-27

Cumbria	12–64	ANZAC Combination

Derwent Park, Workington Attendance: 4,203

On their way back to Australia just four days after the Tri-Nations Final, the Kangaroos played a match, known as the Liberty Bell Cup against the USA at the Franklin Field in Philadelphia. Played in quarters instead of halves, and on a synthetic field that was the size of a Grid iron field, the American's shocked the Australians by racing to an 18-0 lead nearing half time and actually went into the long break with a 24-6 lead. They managed to keep their lead until late in the game when the fitness of the Australians, who had bombed numerous try scoring opportunities through the game, told and the Kangaroos overhauled the home team to win 36-24.^[7]

2004-12-1

United States	24–36	Australia

Franklin Field, Philadelphia Attendance: N/A

References

External links

• 2004 Tri-Nations, Information