Junior Kangaroos pip Fiji

HALFBACK Tim Moltzen landed a 76th minute field goal to get the Junior Kangaroos out of jail against gutsy Fiji in the opening match of their short South Pacific tour.

The cream of the NRL's young talent found itself down 14-4 by half-time at the National Stadium in Suva after some brutal defence from a Bati combination featuring 14 players from the fledgling local league.

Penrith centre Michael Jennings' unconverted 57th minute try came after the Bati had repelled the Australians for five consecutive sets of tackles, only to knock on when they got the ball back.

Tweed Heads Queensland Cup grand final star, Shannon Walker, then flashed over with 13 to go, leaving it to Wests Tigers first grader Chris Lawrence to land a difficult conversion in heavy rain to tie up the international at 14-14.

He did so and Bulldogs lower grader Ryan Millard's field goal attempt with eight left almost clinched a famous victory for the Arthur Kitinas-coached Fijians. The shot went off the left and it was Balmain-Ryde's Moltzen who proved the hero. <p.></p.>Former South Sydney coach Arthur Kitinas said of his men: ``I was surprised they kept going. I don't know where they get that energy from.

"They've had weights programs going here for the last six months and the difference was they were much stronger today than they ever have been.''

AAP