The cultural challenge during New Zealand Kiwis v Tonga XIII, round 3 of the Pacific Championships at Eden Park, Auckland. Photo: Photosport
The Kiwis shut down Tongan fans at Eden Park on Sunday afternoon, with an impressive 40-14 win over the Tonga XIII in the last round of the Pacific Cup competition.
With 38,114 fans in attendance, majority of them Tongans clad in red and waving Tongan flags, captain James Fisher-Harris led the local side to the win, avenging their one-point loss to Tonga 12 months ago.
New Zealand scored a total of seven tries in the clash, with Tonga able to cross the Kiwi line twice.
That win also gives them the chance to appear in the final against Toa Samoa in Sydney next weekend.
Four tries in the first 40 minutes gave the Kiwis a 24-2 lead at halftime.
Having laid down their respective challenges with their 'sipitau' and haka, the two teams went to work with speed, with both sides putting in some big hits.
Tongan leaders Addin Fonua-Blake and Jason Taumalolo featured prominently for their team, leading the hit ups upfront.
Kiwi captain James Fisher-Harris made the same impact for his side, with five eight Dylan Brown masterminding their launches into the Tongan half, his high kicks and bombs proving to be a headache for the Tongan defense.
Taumalolo thanked his players, fans and the Kiwi team.
"The scoreline speaks for itself," he said post-match.
"We were able to score some tries but went into our shell. Would like to thank everyone, the sea of red, the Kiwi fans."
Winning captain James Fisher-Harris thanked their fans and Tonga.
"Thank you for all the support,"he said.
Kiwi five eighth Dylan Brown scored two tries in the game and proved to a thorn for the Tongan defense, especially with his bombs that troubled the Tongan backline throughout the game.
Tongan fullback Lehi Hopoate had a troublesome first 40 minutes at the back, unable to read the high kicks and left it bouncing three out of five times.
Two instances that happened led to tries for the Kiwis.
The big Tongan contingent at Eden Park painted the embankment red, with a few patches of black tee shirts in between the red colours.
Mother nature was also kind, the sun keeping fans warm as the game rolled on.
Tonga started the game well, completing two straight sets and making inroads into the Kiwis' 10 metre zone.
First half dominance
The home team struck first in the 18th minute, with Casey McLean breaking clean from inside their own 20 metres, outpacing the Tongan cover defense before flicking an inside ball to winger Keano Kini, who scooted through to in-between the post, claiming the Kiwis' first try of the half.
Three minutes later it was fullback Nicoll Klokstad who almost went over after he contested a high ball from Brown, but Klokstad was ruled to have knocked the ball forward in the aerial battle with Hopoate on the Tongan line.
But Brown sliced his way through the defense in the 23rd minute before McLean added his five minutes after that.
Centre Matthew Timoko added his name to the scoresheet with his won try in the 36th minute after he dived over to touch down in Hopoate's tackle, another aerial battle win over the Tongan fullback.
Isaako completed the first half with four out of four conversions.
Tonga got some consolation in the 40th minute when Kiwi Erin Clark was sent off to the sin bin by the match referee Ashley Klein.
That infringement gifted Tonga the opportunity to claim their first points of the game, with halfback Isaiya Katoa sending the ball through inbetween the posts and over the crossbar.
The Kiwis enjoyed 59 percent of possession in the first spell, compared to Tonga's 41 percent.
On completion rates in the first 40 minutes, the Kiwis managed to complete 15 of their 21 sets, for a 71 percent completion.
Tonga finished 13 of their 18 sets.
Second half
The Kiwis picked up where they left off in the first half, taking just four minutes for Isaako to add two extra points after Tonga's Demetric Vaimaunga was ruled offside on defense, giving the locals a 26-2 lead.
But it was Vaimaunga who gave some ray of hope for the Tongans, scoring a try in the 49th minute, which Katoa converted.
That was short-lived once again, as poor tackling saw the Kiwis claim another try in the corner.
This time it was Charnze Nicoll- Klokstad who went over, with Isaako's conversion increasing their lead to 30-8.
Daniel Tupou knocked on in the air as he went to collect another Brown high bomb
Brown claimed his second try in the 64th minute after a Tongan tap back near their own line.
Then in the 70th minute hooker Phoenix Crossland sealed the deal for the Kiwis when he crashed over three Tongan tacklers on the line.
However, it was winger Daniel Tupou, who had knocked on an aerial ball minutes earlier, who dived over in the corner for Tonga's second try. Katoa converted leaving the final scoreline at 40-14 in favour of New Zealand.
Concerns were shown mid-way in the second half when Tongan forward 'Eliesa Katoa was carried off the field.
In the end of the game, the Kiwis had 59 percent of possession.
They had 75 percent of completion rate, which was 30 out of the 40 sets they had in the 80 minutes battle.
Tonga only managed 66 percent, completing 24 of their 36 sets.
On attack, the stats also favoured the Kiwis, who recorded 1827 metres with the ball, against the Tongans 1027 metres.
The Kiwis also managed 10 line breaks, while Tonga managed three.
