Kiwis run riot over entertaining Kumuls

As predicted the New Zealand Kiwis ran in plenty of points against Papua New Guinea this afternoon, but the Kumuls provided some fantastic second half entertainment in scoring two tries, losing 76-12 at Rotorua this afternoon.

The Kiwis made sure to keep the scoreboard and the clock closely aligned throughout the first half, a double to Jeremy Smith and tries to a host of forwards giving them a lead of 40-0 just before the break, with interchange hooker Isaac Luke crossing on the siren to take it to 46-0. Benji Marshall's radar was well on track, missing just the one conversion attempt in the first half.

Second half action was just as fast-paced from the Kiwis, after just 50 minutes the Kiwis had extended to 62-0, including Junior Sau adding two more tries to his first half one, becoming the first player with a hat-trick for the day. Not long after, Sau had the opportunity to score a fourth, but found Sam Perrett outside instead. Perrett also went on to score a hat-trick.

But it was in the 53rd minute when Rotorua came alive - Emmanuel Yere stepping inside some pretty worrying Kiwi defence to post the Kumuls first points of both the game and the Four Nations tournament. If that was enough to get the crowd cheering, Benjamin John's chip-and-chase on the very next set put Glen Nami in under the posts and PNG had gone from zeroes to heroes.

While the Kiwis managed to keep their defence watertight for the remaining 25 minutes, the two lapses provided concerns for coach Stephen Kearney, who will be looking for a steely effort from his charges over the next two weeks. The win essentially guarantees the Kiwis the first spot in the November 14 final at Suncorp Stadium, although results over the coming week will finalise that puzzle, the Kiwis would take a lot of confidence from the emphatic victory.

Match Details
New Zealand 76 defeated Papua New Guinea 12
International - Four Nations: Week Two - Sunday October 31, 2010 4:00pm
Venue: Rotorua International Stadium, NZ
Referee: Ben Cummins (AU)
Video Referee: Russell Smith (AU) and David Pakieto (observer, NZ)
Touch Judges: Gerard Sutton (AU) and Paul Holland (AU)
Crowd: 0
Halftime: New Zealand 46 Papua New Guinea 0

Leagueunlimited.com players of the match:
3 Points - Sam McKendry
2 Points - Junior Sau (3 Tries)
1 Point - Jared Waerea-Hargreaves

NEW ZEALAND (76)
Tries: Lance Hohaia, Sam Perrett (3), Junior Sau (3), Isaac Luke, Sika Manu, Jason Nightingale, Greg Eastwood, Simon Mannering, Jeremy Smith (2)
Conversions: Benji Marshall (8/10), Isaac Luke (2/4)

PAPUA NEW GUINEA (12)
Tries: Emmanuel Yere, Glen Nami
Conversions: Ryan Tongia (2/2)

LeagueUnlimited.com Live Commentary Welcome to Rotorua International Stadium for the second week of Four Nations! Some good support in the ground for both sides. PNG are 1-17, as are New Zealand - both reserves for the Kiwis drop off the extended bench. The weather is quite fantastic - the ground bathed in sunshine. Earlier today Junior Kiwis 36 exacted revenge on Junior Kangaroos 20 after the Jnr Roos had been victorious last Saturday in Wellington.
Stirring renditions of the national anthems of both nations before we get underway... and now for the famous Haka!
The PNG reply comes, the formalities are over - Ben Cummins blows time on, and we are underway! New Zealand with first use.
2 min: Good metres for the Kiwis in the first set, Marshall pops a kick into the in-goal and forces the PNG fullback Tongia in-goal. Drop-out Kumuls.
3 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Sam Perrett. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
The Kiwis push it wide midway through the set and Sam Perrett trips the light fantastic along the touchline before spectacularly putting it down for the first four-pointer of the day. Kiwi captain Benji Marshall gets the conversion from the touchline!
New Zealand 6-0
5 min: Possession 100% in New Zealand's favour so far, they again make good metres and trap Tongia in-goal on the last, forcing another line drop-out.
6 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible Kiwis try. Simon Mannering gets over the line but has he got it down?
7 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Simon Mannering. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
Simon Mannering uses brute force to charge through the Kumuls defensive line and gets it down - just. Marshall makes it 12-0 inside 7 minutes.
New Zealand 12-0
8 min: Dragons' premiership utility and Kiwi halfback Nathan Fien spills the ball from the kickoff. Kumuls first possession of the game comes in front of the Kiwis line after eight minutes.
9 min: Some promising attack from Papua New Guinea but the last fizzled as they went short-side and tried a grubber, Junior Sa'u getting in the way to stop any drama.
12 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Jeremy Smith. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall unsuccessful.
New Zealand hammering the Kumuls out of dummy half with quick runs catching the markers out, eventually Jeremy Smith crosses on the opposite side to teammate Mannering a few minutes earlier. Marshall doesn't like the right side as much, missing this conversion attempt.
New Zealand 16-0
14 min: Quick stat - missed tackles are NZ 0, PNG 15. This will be a long afternoon.
15 min: A knock-on from Tongia returning the ball from his own in-goal and NZ will get the ball 10m out.
16 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Jeremy Smith. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
Jeremy Smith with a double, he just strolls through. Marshall no trouble from in front and the Kiwis lead the clock by six, and the Kumuls by 22.
New Zealand 22-0
17 min: BANG! What a hit from PNG's Makali Aizue on Kiwi Sam McKendry, the Rotorua International Stadium rattles! The Kiwis continue to work the ball up-field and look to have spilled it on the last but it's ruled a strip, the Kiwis with the first penalty of the game.
19 min: Benji Marshall a late kick through across the face of goal and Nathan Fien claims a try but he's well and truly offside. Penalty Kumuls.
21 min: A high ball from Fien on the last up to Jason Nightingale's wing - he's spilled it though Nightingale and it'll be a Kumuls scrum. The clock about to catch up with the Kiwis as we near the 22nd minute and the Kiwis are penalised.
23 min: A Kumul drop ball gives the Kiwis easy possession and again they make easy metres.
25 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Junior Sau. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
Nathan Fien slides the ball across the face of the goal in a similar manner to Marshall's kick a few minutes earlier. Sau claims the try easily and Marshall has no trouble adding the extras.
New Zealand 28-0
29 min: Emmanuel Yere (PNG) spins Thomas Leuluai into the ground earning himself a REPORT. Kiwis penalty but Waerea-Hargreaves spills it just one tackle into the new set. Kumuls scrum.
30 min: PNG on fire! Awesome break through and chip ahead from Aize, they force Hohaia in-goal for a Kiwis drop-out! Their best chance of the entire series to score here...
31 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible PAPUA NEW GUINEA TRY!!!!! The ball's gone through the line on the toe and Jessy Joe Parker, well and truly onside, has planted the ball... but is it inside the line?
32 min: NO TRY for PNG the ball has just rolled dead and Russell Smith left with no choice but to deny the Kumuls their first points of the series. Kiwis 20m restart.
33 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Lance Hohaia. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
Lance Hohaia plays the right side, dummies, steps through the line and puts the ball down. Marshall converts as the Kiwis keep pace with the clock once more.
New Zealand 34-0
35 min: A Benji bomb puts Kumuls fullback Tongia under immense pressure and he manages to knock the ball forward. Kiwis scrum inside the Kumuls 10m zone.
36 min: VIDEO REFEREE for possible Kiwis try - Greg Eastwood under the posts. Checking possible obstruction.
37 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Greg Eastwood. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
More success for New Zealand under the posts this time for Greg Eastwood, Marshall pushes the score to 40-0.
New Zealand 40-0
38 min: Kiwis error gives the Kumuls a scrum on halfway.
39 min: Kumuls drop-ball this time, they'd actually lost ten metres in that set courtesy of a manhandling tackle from Greg Eastwood. Kiwis ball 40m from the Kumul line.
40 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Isaac Luke. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
New Zealand pepper the Kumuls line in the shadows of halftime and Isaac Luke eventually finds his way through the traffic to plant it down. Marshall's conversion is good and it's 46-0 at HALFTIME
New Zealand 46-0
41 min: Second half begins, Kumuls first possession.
43 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Junior Sau. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall unsuccessful.
The sun essentially gone and the Kiwis won't have it anywhere near as tough as the Kumuls did in the first half... here we have the ball threading to Perrett and then Sau who grabs a double. We hit 50 with that try, Marshall doesn't convert.
New Zealand 50-0
46 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Junior Sau. Conversion attempt by Benji Marshall successful.
Another easy try, Junior Sau is the first player today to grab a hat-trick. Marshall's conversion is successful.
New Zealand 56-0
47 min: Benji Marshall is interchanged off following that conversion, Mannering joins him on the bench. Thomas Leuluai comes on.
48 min: Penalty Kiwis and they'll have another stab at the Kumuls line.
50 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Sam Perrett. Conversion attempt by Isaac Luke successful.
Junior Sau could've nabbed a fourth there but he uses Perrett outside him. Isaac Luke's first conversion attempt is leather perfect.
New Zealand 62-0
52 min: VIDEO REFEREE for a possible try to big Frank-Paul-the-wrecking-ball... assessing the offside ruling as Nuuausala was in front of the play-the-ball. He'll be denied and we're looking at a Kumuls penalty back on the halfway line.
53 min: TRY
TRY Papua New Guinea
Scored by Emmanuel Yere. Conversion attempt by Ryan Tongia successful.
It's a PAPUA NEW GUINEA TRY! Menzie Yere scores for the Kumuls, cutting back inside and really some poor defence puts the Kumuls on the scoresheet! Great stuff and the crowd erupts! Tongia converts to take it to six.
New Zealand 62-6
55 min: TRY
TRY Papua New Guinea
Scored by Glen Nami. Conversion attempt by Ryan Tongia successful.
Stunning! Chip and chase from Benjamin John, a couple of running offloads, a quality try as Glen Nami finds himself in under the posts. Tongia converts again and 62-0 is suddenly 62-12!
New Zealand 62-12
60 min: The PNG try double seems to have slowed the scoreboard down, both sides trading sets without any real penetration.
62 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Sam Perrett. Conversion attempt by Isaac Luke unsuccessful.
Hohaia goes high on the last finding Perrett out wide, who spins and plants himself and the ball down. Isaac Luke with a harder task from out wide fades it across the face, no goal.
New Zealand 66-12
65 min: PNG penalty and they'll get another attacking opportunity here.
68 min: Fantastic work from the PNG halves to put Hohaia under pressure for NZ, he ends up going wide to escape the in-goal but is bundled into touch - repeat sets for PNG here!
69 min: Wabo spills it over the line, just as the Kumuls looked likely.
71 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Jason Nightingale. Conversion attempt by Isaac Luke successful.
A rare occasion for the Kiwis, they go right and find Jason Nightingale who scores out wide. Luke with the extra two pushes the lead back to sixty.
New Zealand 72-12
72 min: Tongia with the short kickoff, PNG attacking now!
73 min: Bad luck for the Kumuls as they aren't able to make hay from their fifth tackle options. A penalty for NZ coming out of their own end and referee Cummins has a chat to Paul Aiton about PNG's discipline.
76 min: TRY
TRY New Zealand
Scored by Sika Manu. Conversion attempt by Isaac Luke unsuccessful.
Sika Manu with a rampaging run down the left and he gets it down! Luke misses the conversion. The Kiwis are two points short of their greatest margin over PNG in Test history.
New Zealand 76-12
79 min: PNG's last chance to attack ends in a knock-on, around 35m from the Kiwis line. A scrum will pack and the Kiwis will have one more shot at the record...
FULLTIME and that's all she wrote, the Kiwis last attacking movement ends in a mess and it's 76-12 in favour of the Kiwis at fulltime.