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FIJ vs PNG
Pacific Championships
HFC Bank Stadium, Suva
Fiji
vs
Papua New Guinea
10
FT
22
Action
Lineups
All
Facts Only
All
Full-Time: 10 - 22
That's all we have for this one. Stay with Tribe for Round 2 of the Pacific Championships which gets underway next Saturday night with a Fiji vs Cook Islands double header in Suva. First up it is the Bulikula and Moana locking horns in the Women's Pacific Bowl before the Bati and Aitu clash in the Men's match. This is Anthony Morgan signing off.
The Bati will back up again next weekend where they will take on the Cook Islands in a must-win match for both sides. The Kumuls will have the week off before they host the Aitu in Port Moresby in a fortnight.
Fiji's handling and execution on attack left a lot to be desired throughout the contest. Semi Valemei was one bright spot as the winger churned through 234m with seven tackle busts out of yardage. Tui Kamikamica was reliable in the middle with 169m and 42 tackles.
Nene MacDonald was supreme at the back for the Kumuls with a try, try assist, two line breaks and 10 tackle busts from his 22 runs which netted 277m. Robert Derby (297m + five tackle breaks) was strong out of yardage and he had an eye for the intercept after he picked off two Viliame Kikau offloads which helped turn the momentum of the match PNG's way. Jacob Alick-Wiencke and Jack de Belin were tireless in the middle with a combined 269m and 58 tackles.
Papua New Guinea did the damage with three unanswered tries in the first half before they eased to a comfortable 10-22 win over Fiji Bati in Suva. Trailing 0-16 at halftime, Fiji brought some much needed energy early in the second half and they struck back when Semi Valemei scored from a rare right-side raid in the 48th minute. They threatened to score again a few minutes later but a dicey Viliame Kikau offload was picked off by Robert Derby who streaked 70m upfield before he passed inside to Nene MacDonald who finished a cracking length of the field try. Errors took over in the final quarter before Fiji pegged a consolation try to Maika Sivo in the final minute of the match.
80'
Milne converts from near the left sideline.
10-22 T. Milne
Conversion
80'
80'
SIVO GETS A CONSOLATION TRY! Kamikamica takes a hit up towards the goal line before Naiqama rolls in a threatening grubber in behind the line on the left. Derby dives on the loose ball but it spills backwards into the in-goal. Derby fails to ground it a second time as Sivo swoops through to score Fiji's second try.
8-22 M. Sivo
Try
80'