New Zealand winger Dallin Watene-Zelezniak has given coach Michael Maguire a huge outside backs headache with a ridiculous performance against Jamaica.
Despite leaving the field in the 62nd minute due to cramp, the 27-year-old made his mark, scoring four tries and recording 249 running metres to go with 10 tackle breaks and six line breaks.
The Warriors flyer also assisted two tries, charging down the wing before kicking the ball infield for hooker Jeremy Marshall-King to score on both occasions.
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New Zealand v Jamaica: Match Highlights | 02:55
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“Appreciate the skill from Watene-Zelezniak on the wing, the modern day winger these days you have to be able to do everything,” commentator Jordan Turner said.
“Gone are the days when you just have to be fast and run down the wing, but we see some unbelievable skill from him to be able to kick the ball and find his teammates inside.
“He has also been able to score and finish himself and now he is kicking goals.”
It only took 18 minutes for Watene-Zelezniak to notch up a hattrick and Fox League’s Andrew Voss likened his performance to Kangaroos flyer Josh Addo-Carr.
“He is doing a Josh Addo-Carr, let’s trot baby, he has a hattrick in 18-and-a-half minutes,” Fox League’s Andrew Voss said.
“You could put his hand down the S-bend of a toilet and find a gold watch right now, he is on fire.”
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In New Zealand’s first clash, Ronaldo Mulitalo and Jordan Rapana played on the wing as the Kiwis came away with a scrappy 34-12 win over Lebanon.
Watene-Zelezniak and Sebastian Kris took over the wing roles against Jamaica, leaving their best performances out on the field.
Mulitalo and Rapana were set to be New Zealand’s first choice wingers ahead of the World Cup, however the pair only recorded a single try between them in the first game.
Mulitalo also ran for 137 metres, and Rapana 108 compared to Watene-Zelezniak’s impressive 249 metres.
The Kiwis have locked in a quarterfinals appearance and Maguire now has a big decision to make after New Zealand play their final group stage game against Ireland.
