NEW ZEALAND 40 PAPUA NEW GUINEA 12
MARC BAZELEY, Cbus Super Stadium, Gold Coast, Saturday

NEW ZEALAND survived a Halloween fright against Papua New Guinea to make it three wins from three and secure top spot in Group B.

Tries from Tia Molo and Orchids icon Elsie Albert, both of which were converted by Emily Veivers, helped Papua New Guinea into the ascendancy in the first half of a game they needed to win handsomely to overhaul Fiji’s points difference in the pool.

But two tries apiece from threequarters Mackenzie Wiki and Abigail Roache helped New Zealand seize control of the contest, with Stacey Waaka, Kaiyah Atai, Otesa Pule and Leianne Tufuga adding one apiece plus Zahara Temara kicking four conversions.

The three-time champions were arguably fortunate to hold a slender two-point lead at the break after an error-strewn first 35 minutes, though a much more composed display in the second half saw the Kiwi Ferns accelerate away from PNG.

Ricky Henry’s side could hardly have asked for a much better start after taking the lead in the sixth minute when player of the match Nicholls found Wiki with a cut-out pass to the right wing, who in turn flicked the ball back inside for centre Waaka to cross for an unconverted score.

However, a knock-on following the restart as the rain started to fall opened the door for the Orchids to hit back and they seized the opportunity when Gemma Walker dinked through a perfectly-weighted grubber which was scooped up by centre Molo to finish.

New Zealand were struggling to finish their sets in a first half which saw them rack up ten errors, but Raecene McGregor’s kicking was helping them pressurise PNG and it paid off in the 18th minute after the scrum-half had helped force a drop-out.

The ball was worked to the right by the Kiwi Ferns and this time Waaka and Wiki reversed roles, with the former turning provider for her winger after scooping the ball up from the floor and sending the former Cook Islands representative over wide on the right.

But once again, an error following the restart – this time, a knock-on in a tackle – gave Papua New Guinea perfect field position to attack from and they capitalised again as skipper Albert took a pass five metres out and forced her way over.

Yet with a minute until the break, New Zealand snatched a lead they would never relinquish when Nicholls sent second row Atai racing in from around twelve metres out.

Two minutes after the restart, interchange duo Brooke Anderson and Pule combined for the prop to step on the gas and break the line for a superb score which opened up some daylight between the teams.

That seemed to take some of the wind out of the Orchids’ sails and after another McGregor kick had led to a drop-out, Wiki grabbed her second of the game when the halfback found the daughter of New Zealand men’s great Ruben Wiki on the right wing in the 48th minute.

Seven minutes later, the Kiwi Ferns were in again after the ball was worked neatly along the line to the left for Tufuga to grab her first of the night, with Roache adding her two scores inside the final 15 minutes to set up a semi-final against Samoa.

GAMESTAR: Apii Nicholls was an assured presence with the ball in hand at fullback, racking up 213 metres and 77 post-contact metres, along with assisting a try and a line-break, and busting two tackles.

GAMEBREAKER: Otesa Pule’s breakaway try early in the second half gave New Zealand a bit of breathing space and opened up a gap Papua New Guinea were never able to claw their way back from.

MATCHFACTS

NEW ZEALAND
1 Apii Nicholls
2 Leianne Tufuga
3 Abigail Roache
4 Stacey Waaka
5 Mackenzie Wiki
6 Zahara Temara
7 Raecene McGregor
8 Alexis Tauaneai
9 Georgia Hale
10 Shannon Mato
11 Shaniece Monschau
12 Kaiyah Atai
13 Angelina Teakaraanga-Katoa
Subs (all used)
14 Ashleigh Quinlan
15 Otesa Pule
16 Brooke Anderson
17 Ivana Lauitiiti

Tries: Waaka (6), Wiki (20, 45), Atai (34), Pule (37), Tufuga (53), Roache (55, 64)
Goals: Temara 4/8

PAPUA NEW GUINEA
1 Anika Butler
5 Naomi Kelly
3 Relna Wuruki-Hosea
4 Tia Molo
18 Mala Mark
6 Fleur Ginn
16 Gemma Walker
8 Elsie Albert
14 Therese Aiton
10 Jenny David
11 Emily Veivers
12 Shellie Long
13 India Seeto
Subs (all used)
15 Essay Banu
17 Vanessa Nakas
19 Mya Muller
22 Jafinda Sap

Tries: Molo (9), Albert (21)
Goals: Veivers 2/2

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 8-6, 8-12, 14-12; 20-12, 24-12, 28-12, 34-12, 40-12

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
New Zealand: Apii Nicholls; Papua New Guinea: Elsie Albert

Penalty count: 6-2
Half-time: 14-12
Referee: Belinda Sharpe